to write. My copy-book had four pages of
"straight marks," so called, I suppose, because they are always crooked. I
had also gone through "the hooks," up and down; but my hand was cramped;
and I fear that my first "word-copy" was not as good as it ought to have
been; but I "run out my tongue and tried" hard; and it makes me laugh, even
now, to remember how I used to look along the line of "writing-scholars" on
my bench, and see the rows of lolling tongues and moving heads over the
long desk, mastering the first difficulties of chirography; some licking
off "blots" of ink from their copy-books, others drawing in or dropping
slowly out of the mouth, at each upward or downward "stroke" of the pen.

One morning, "the master" came behind me and overlooked my writing--

"Louis," said he, "if I see any more such writing as that, you'll repent
it! I've _talked_ to you long enough."

I replied that he had never, to my recollection, blamed me for writing
badly but once; nor _had_ he.

"Don't dare to contradict _me_, sir, but remember!" was his only reply.

From this moment, I could scarcely hold my pen aright, much less "write
right." The master had a cat-like, stealthy tread, and I seemed all the
while to feel him behind me; and while I was fearing this, and had reached
the end of a line, there fell across my right hand a diagonal blow, from
the fierce whip which was the tyrant's constant companion, that in a moment
rose to a red and blue welt as large as my little finger, entirely across
my hand. The pain was excruciating. I can recall the feeling as vividly,
while I am tracing these lines, as I did the moment after the cruel blow
was inflicted.

From that time forward I could not write at all; nor should I have pursued
that branch of school-education at all that winter but that "the master's"
cruelty soon led to his dismissal in deep disgrace. His floggings were
almost incessant. His system was the "reign of terror," instead of that
which "works by _love_ and purifies the heart." His crowning act was
feruling a little boy, as ingenuous and innocent-hearted a child as ever
breathed, on the tops of his finger-nails--a refinement of cruelty beyond
all previous example. The little fellow's nails turned black and soon came
off, and the "master" was turned away. I am not sorry to add that he was
subsequently cowhided, while lying in a snow-bank, into which he had been
"knocked" by an elder brother of the lad whom he had so cruel