for whereas in many
schools the diet was so poor and bad that the boys were half starved, at
Hathorn's if their food was simple and coarse it was at least wholesome
and abundant.

Mr. Hathorn, in fact, intended, and as he quite believed with success,
to do his duty by his boys. They were sent to him to be taught, and he
taught them through the medium then recognized as most fitting for
the purpose--the cane; while, as far as an abundance of porridge
for breakfast, and of heavy pudding at dinner, with twice a week an
allowance of meat, the boys were unstinted. He would indeed point
with pride to his pupils when their parents assembled at the annual
presentation of prizes.

"Look at them!" he would say proudly. "None of your half starved
skeletons here--well filled out and in good condition every boy of
them--no stint of porridge here. It keeps them in good health and
improves their learning; for, mark you, a plump boy feels the cane twice
as much as a skinny one; it stings, my dear sir, it stings, and leaves
its mark; whereas there is no getting at a boy whose clothes hang like
bags about him."

This was no doubt true, and the boys themselves were conscious of it,
and many had been the stern resolutions made while smarting in agony
that henceforward food should be eschewed, or taken only in sufficient
quantities to keep life together. But boys' appetites are stronger than
boys' resolutions, and in the end there was never any marked falling off
in the consumption of viands at Hathorn's.

Like other things punishment fails when administered in excess. There
was no disgrace whatever in what was common to all, for although some
of the boys of superior ability and perseverance would escape with a
smaller amount of punishment than their fellows, none could hope to
escape altogether. Thus it was only the pain that they had to bear,
and even this became to some extent deadened by repetition, and was
forgotten as soon as inflicted, save when a sudden movement caused a
sharp pain in back or leg. Once in the playground their spirits revived,
and except a few whose recent punishment incapacitated them for a time
from active exercise, the whole were soon intent upon their games.

One only of the party wore his cap, and he after a few minutes left the
others, and went toward a door which led from the playground into the
road.

"Don't be long, Sankey; come back as soon as you can, you know we agreed
to go fishing this afternoo