The twins, Silas and George, sit together, pretending to do sums on a slate; but, I am sorry to say, they are really making pictures of the master. George says "his forehead sneaks away from his face," and on the slate he is made to look like an idiot. But the color of his hair cannot be painted with a white slate pencil. "I expect every day I shall scream out 'Fire!'" whispered Silas! "Mr. Purple's a-fire!" In the floor stands brother Moses, with a split shingle astride his nose, after the fashion of a modern clothes-pin. So much for eating beechnuts in school, and peeling them for the little girls; but he and Ozem Wiggins nod at each other wisely behind Mr. Purple's back, as much as to say, they know what the reason is _they_ have to be punished; it is because they are only nine years old; if they were in their teens the master wouldn't dare! Ozem has not peeled beechnuts, but he has "called names," and has to hold out a hard-wood poker at arm's length. If he should curve his elbow in the least, it would get a rap from the master's ferule. "Class in Columbian Orator," says Mr. Purple, "take your places out in the floor." A dozen of the large boys and girls march forth, their shoes all squeaking as if some of the goosequills had got into the soles. "Observe!" You would not understand that, but they know it means, "Make your manners;" and the girls obey by quick little courtesies, and the boys by stiff little bows. Most of them say "natur" and "creetur," though duly corrected, and Charley Noonin, Siller's nephew, says "wooled" for "would." Next comes a class in the Art of Reading. The twins are in that. Then Webster's Third Part, and unhappy little Patty steps out, almost crying with chilblains, and has to be shaken because she doesn't stand still. After that some poor little souls try to spell out the story of "Thrifty and Unthrifty" in Webster's shingle-covered spelling-book. "Class in Morse's Geography.--Little lady in that front seat, be car-ful! Come out here, Patty Lyman, and stand up by the fireplace. No crying." It is almost a daily habit with Master Purple to call Patty into the floor while the geography class recites, and afterwards to give her a small whipping, for no other reason in the world than that she cannot stand still. William Parlin, who is a manly, large-hearted boy, pities the poor little thing, and sometimes darkly hints that he is not going to look on much longer and see her abused. CHAPTER XI. LITTLE GRANDFATHER. But let us hear the geography class. The pupils stay in their seats to recite, while the master walks the floor and switches his boots. There is such a fearful uproar to-day that he has to raise his voice as if he were speaking a ship in a storm. "What two rivers unite to form the Ohio?" "A pint of clover seed and a bushel of _Timothy_," replies William Parlin, in a low voice.