The boys had listened with astonished silence to this address, and so completely taken aback were they that all save those ordered to remain rose from their seats and went out in a quiet and orderly way, very different from the wild rush which generally terminated school time.
Ned being in the second class was one of those who went out. Instead of scattering into groups, the boys gathered in a body outside.
What do you think of that, Sankey? Tompkins said. It seems almost too good to be true. Only fancy, no more thrashing except for lying and things of that sort, and treating us like friends! and he talked as if he meant it too.
That he did, Ned said gravely; and I tell you, fellows, we shall have to work now, and no mistake. A fellow who will not work for such a man as that deserves to be skinned.
I expect, said James Mather, who was one of the biggest boys in the school though still in the third class, that its all gammon, just to give himself a good name, and to do away with the bad repute the school has got into for Hathorns flogging. You will see how long it will last! I aint going to swallow all that soft soap.
Ned, who had been much touched at the masters address, at once fired up:
Oh! we all know how clever you are, Matherquite a shining genius, one of the sort who can see through a stone wall. If you say its gammon, of course it must be so.
There was a laugh among the boys.
I will punch your head if you dont shut up, Sankey, Mather said angrily; theres no ink bottle for you to shy here.
Ned turned very white, but he checked himself with an effort.
I dont want to fight todayits the first day of the half year, and after such a speech as weve heard I dont want to have a row on this first morning. But you had better look out; another time you wont find me so patient. Punch my head, indeed! Why, you darent try it.
But Mather would have tried it, for he had for the last year been regarded as the cock of the school. However, several of the boys interfered.
Sankey is right, Mather; it would be a beastly shame to be fighting this morning. After what Porson said there oughtnt to be any rows today. We shall soon see whether he means it.
Mather suffered himself to be dissuaded from carrying his threat into execution, the rather that in his heart of hearts he was not assured that the course would have been a wise one. Ned had never fought in the school, but Tompkins account of his fight on the moor with Bill Swinton, and the courage he had shown in taking upon himself the office of spokesman in the rebellion against Hathorn, had given him a very high reputation among the boys; and in spite of Mathers greater age and weight there were many who thought that Ned Sankey would make a tough fight of it with the cock of the school.
So the gathering broke up and the boys set to at their games, which were played with a heartiness and zest all the greater that none of them were in pain from recent punishment, and that they could look forward to the afternoon without fear and trembling.
When at twelve oclock the boys of the first class came out from school the others crowded round to hear the result of the mornings lessons. They looked bright and pleased.
I think he is going to turn out a brick, Ripon, the head of the first class, said. Of course one cant tell yet. He was very quiet with us and had a regular examination of each of us. I dont think he was at all satisfied, though we all did our best, but there was no shouting or scolding. We are to go in again this afternoon with the rest. He says theres something which he forgot to mention to us this morning.
More speeches! Mather grumbled. I hate all this jaw.
Yes, Ripon said sharply; a cane is the thing which suits your understanding best. Well, perhaps he will indulge you; obstinate idleness is one of the things he mentioned in the address.
When afternoon school began Mr. Porson again rose.
There is one thing I forgot to mention this morning. I understand that you have hitherto passed your play time entirely in the playground, except on Saturday afternoons, when you have been allowed to go where you like between dinner and tea time. With the latter regulation I do not intend to interfere, or at any rate I shall not do so so long as I see that no bad effects come of it; but I shall do so only with this proviso: I do not think it good for you to be going about the town. I shall therefore put Marsden out of bounds. You will be free to ramble where you like in the country, but any boy who enters the town will be severely punished. I am not yet sufficiently acquainted with the neighborhood to draw the exact line beyond which you are not to go, but I shall do so as soon as I have ascertained the boundaries of the town.
I understand that you look forward to Saturday for making such purchases as you require. Therefore each Saturday four boys, selected by yourselves, one from each class, will be allowed to go into the town to make purchases for the rest, but they are not to be absent more than an hour.
In the second place, I do not think that the playground affords a sufficient space for exercise, and being graveled, it is unsuitable for many games. Therefore I have hired a field, which I dare say you all know; it is called The Four Acre Field, about a hundred yards down the road on the left hand side. This you will use as your playground during the six summer months. I have brought with me from York a box which I shall place under the charge of Ripon and the two next senior to him. It contains bats, wickets, and a ball for cricket; a set of quoits; trap bat and ball for the younger boys; leaping bars and some other things. These will give you a start. As they become used up or broken they must be replaced by yourselves; and I hope you will obtain plenty of enjoyment from them. I shall come and play a game of cricket with you myself sometimes.
You will bear in mind that it is my wish that you should be happy. I expect you to work hard, but I wish you to play hard too. Unless the body works the brain will suffer, and a happy and contented boy will learn as easily again as a discontented, and miserable one. I will give you the box after tea, so that you can all examine them together. The second and third classes will now stay in; the fourth class can go out in the playground with the first. I shall have time to examine them while the others are doing their work tomorrow.
There was a suppressed cheer among the boys and Ripon, as the senior, said:
I am sure, sir, we are all very much obliged to you for your kindness, and we will do our best to deserve it.
There was a chorus of assent, and then the elder and younger boys went out into the playground while the work of examination of the second and third classes began.
On the following day lessons began in earnest, and the boys found their first impressions of the new master more than justified. A new era had commenced. The sound of the cane was no longer heard, and yet the lessons were far better done than had been the case before. Then the whole work had fallen on the boys; the principal part of the days lessens had been the repeating of tasks learned by heart, and the master simply heard them and punished the boys who were not perfect.
There was comparatively little of this mechanical work now; it was the sense and not the wording which had to be mastered. Thus geography was studied from an atlas and not by the mere parrot-like learning of the names of towns and rivers. In grammar the boys had to show that they understood a rule by citing examples other than those given in their books. History was rather a lecture from the master than a repetition of dry facts and dates by the boys. Latin and mathematics were made clear in a similar way.