SCHOOLS, CONTINUED: RICHARD WATTERS IN BURK'S SCHOOL: THE COMPROMISE

Richard Waters or Watters was a schoolboy, and I thought at the time, in his teens when I entered Brigg's school. He was a nephew of Colonel John B. Jones, in whose family he lived. He was a handsome, light-haired lad, well set up physically, and possessing splendid mental talent. He was not large for his age, but his rubber-like muscles aided him in performing many an athletic trick. From the time he could walk well, he had attended the schools, and was much farther advanced in his studies than others at his age. A jolly, friendly, good-natured boy--comrade; always ready and willing to assist the small children and undergrades in their lessons, even in school hours, if a chance unobserved by the teacher should present itself; he was liked by all except teachers.

Dick, as he was called by all except teachers, had a good lot of funny and fascinating little tricks; and these he performed to please the children.

He had been whipped, stood on one leg on rickety benches, compelled to wear dunce-caps, and punished so many ways that, hardened to it all, it had come to be nothing but fun-for him.

The cause of Dick's mischievousness, mainly, was that these Down-East teachers, with their "blue-book rules" applied the switch mostly to the small children about their lessons, a method that thwarted their progress.

Dick had been brought up on these lines, and it was still in vogue; he had long since concluded to keep even with these unjust and cruel teachers. Burke, the former teacher, had beat and slashed him, but little cared Dick. If the dunce-cap were applied to him he made the others laugh; if he were up on a high desk on one leg, he would "skin the cat" on the joist; this to the merriment of all.

Burke had tried these devices to no good effect, but he had now conceived a plan that surely would work and to this merriment in school hours would put an end.

It was not long before Dick had violated the rules again. Burke took the short seat that had been given me the first day I attended Brigges school, placed it in the fire place and told Dick to mount. Dick did so; his head and chest in the flue and not visible; his legs only to be seen; still as a statue. Good behavior now in school was in evidence, and Burke consoled. All at once squalls and yells came from the throats of the school. Dick had peeped down--what a sight was seen by the young 'uns' Burke was up at once switch in hand. "What's the occasion of all this uproar?" Some little brave said, "Dick. Burke looked at Dick's legs and they were in the same position as before: "Come down here Richard; I'll investigate your doings." With one athletic plunge Dick sat vertical on his seat, face outward, fronting the school; feet hanging and oscillating uniformly like a pendulum; presenting such a laughing-stock for the school as had never been furnished before.

Dick, while up the chimney, had made a pigment of saliva and soot with which he had besmeared his face, thus: An upper and under curve around the mouth; above the acute angles at the corners of the mouth was a large patch of black on each cheek, a fair resemblance of Burke's side whiskers; each eye was decorated like the mouth; an upper curve near the hair from temple to temple, with a moon in eclipse on forehead; a line down the nose till it entered a circle on its tip, a goatee on chin completed the painting. Then he had taken his bandana kerchief, used to wipe sweat and dirt from fingers in order not to soil too much his books and thumb-paper, tied it on his head, in old-time black-cook and turban style, but with the twisted tail in front like a sturdy horn.

Dick had tried to duplicate the Devil; on the Island about this time, there was a book in circulation containing a picture of His Satanic Majesty with cloven foot and a strong tail spear-barbed at its end. This Devil and his imps were busy around the crater of a volcano in eruption leading to his nether regions, a means of entrance furnished his swift-flying subjects, who were constantly approaching and plunging head foremost into this abyss. Now it was very likely that all these children had seen this devil picture; and, after seeing Dick in this plight, the younger ones especially were fearfully reminded of this horned, fork-tailed and cloven footed majesty and were completely spell-bound. Dick, having no materials for a tail and cloven foot, had to content himself, Rhinoceros-like with one center horn.

It was well that he could not precisely duplicate his Satanic Majesty's picture; otherwise, the small children, seeing a live devil, would have gone into spasms, for these were days of haunts, ghosts, and devilish spirits. The larger pupils were in a circus uproar, while Burke, switch in hand, stood transfixed gazing at Dick's predicament.

Burke: "Richard, go in haste to Mr. Waterfield and get'some soap." Dick started. "Come back and sit down," said Burke. "John you go and get the soap; James you and Thomas, get a bucket of water." The soap and water were soon on hand and two deputies appointed to pour water upon and otherwise to assist Dick in the cleansing. His face was cleaned up in a fair manner, but his clothes were in leopard spots.

It might be supposed that all would receive the lash and Dick a double dose, but not one got a lick. Dick had outgeneraled his teacher; and there could be detected in the countenance of Burke a suppressed smile.

Burke and Dick that evening held a conference, the result, a compromise. Dick insisted upon a reformation in the conduct of both. There was no doubt about the compromise, for Dick's tricks grew fewer and Burke's harshness abated.

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