n out lame
productions at the best. Even Pembury's lucubrations lacked a good deal
of their wonted dash and spirit. The cloud which was hanging over the
Fifth seemed to have overshadowed its genius for a while.

Still Pembury kept his men at it and gave them no peace till their
productions, such as they were, were safe in his hands. One boy only
was equal to the emergency; that I need hardly say was Simon. He was
indeed more eloquent than ever. He offered Pembury a poem of forty
verses, entitled, "An Elegy on the Wick of a Candle that had just been
blown out," to begin with, and volunteered to supplement this
contribution with one or two smaller pieces, such as, "My Little Lark,"
or "An Adventure outside the Dormitory Door," or "Mind Mewsings."

Pembury prudently accepted all, and said he would insert what he thought
fit, an assurance which delighted Simon, who immediately sat down and
wrote some more "pieces," in case at the last moment there might be room
for them too. But, in spite even of these valuable contributions, the
_Dominican_ fell flat. There were a few good things in it here and
there, but it was far below its ordinary form; and not a few of the
writers repented sorely that ever they had put pen to paper to help
produce it.

The chief amusement of the paper was contained in a "New Code of
Regulations for the Better Management of Guinea-pigs and Tadpoles," from
the editor's pen. It began thus:

"A society has lately been started at Saint Dominic's for the
preservation and management of Guinea-pigs and Tadpoles. The following
are some of the rules to be observed:--

"Any one owning a Guinea-pig or Tadpole is to be responsible for washing
it with soap and hot water at least twice a day.

"Any one owning a Guinea-pig or Tadpole is to supply the rest of the
school with cotton wool and scent.

"No Guinea-pig or Tadpole is on any account to use hair oil or grease
which has not been sanctioned by a joint committee of the Fifth, Sixth,
and masters.

"During the approaching winter, every one possessing a Guinea-pig or
Tadpole shall be at liberty, providing it is regularly washed, to use it
as a warming-pan for his own bed."

The small tribe of furious juniors who as usual had crowded round the
paper on the morning of publication to get "first read," broke forth at
this point into a howl of exasperation.

"They won't! I'll see they won't use me as a warming-pan, won't you,
Padger? The brutes!