The Fifth Form at Saint Dominic's: A School StoryReed, Talbot Baines
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The Fifth Form at Saint Dominic's: A School Story
Reed, Talbot Baines
Boarding schools -- England -- Juvenile fiction; Boys -- Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction
"At 4.30, sharp, the leather was taken into custody by `Gamey' Raikes,
at the wash-house end, who tried what his artful `yorkers' could do in
the way of dissolving partnership. But Teddy Loman kept his willow
straight up, and said `Not at home' to every poser, leaving Noll to do
all the smacking. This pretty business might have gone on till
to-morrow week had the men's upper stories been as `O.K.' as their
timbers, but they messed about over a pretty snick of Noll's, and, after
popping the question three times, Teddy got home just in time to see his
two bails tumble out of their groove. Teddy didn't like this, and
bowled his partner a wide compliment, which Noll, like a sensible man,
didn't walk out to, and Teddy was astonished to find his party could get
on without him;" and so on.
This version of the incident was by no means pleasant to Loman, but to
every one else it was highly diverting, and it actually made one or two
of the Fifth think that Oliver, after all, had not done such a very
discreditable thing in taking that angry word in silence. If only he
had shown more spirit about the blow, they could have forgiven the rest.
Then followed more from the "Sixth Form Mouse":--
"The Sixth held a Cabinet Council to-day to discuss who should go out
for nuts. The choice fell on Callonby. I wonder why the Sixth are so
fond of nuts. Why, monkeys eat nuts. Perhaps that is the reason. What
a popular writer Mr Bohn is with the Sixth! they even read him at
lesson time! I was quite sorry when the Doctor had to bone Wren's Bohn.
I wonder, by the way, why that bird found it so hard to translate the
simplest sentence without his Bohn! The Doctor really shouldn't--I hope
he will restore to Wren his backbone by giving him back his Bohn. Hum!
I heard some one smiling. I'll go."
The Sixth, a good many of them, were imprudent enough to look very
guilty at the reading of this extract, a circumstance which appeared to
afford keenest delight to the Fifth. But as Simon's poem followed, they
had other food for thought at the moment. The poem was entitled--
A Revverie.
I.
I walked me in the garden, all in the garden fair,
And mused upon my hindmost sole all in the open air.
When lo! I heard above my head a sound all like a wisk,
I stepped me aside thereat out of the way so brisk.
[Hindmost sole, possibly "inmost soul"; wisk, possibly "whisk."]
II.
I looked me up, and there behold! and lo! a window broad,
And out thereof I did dizzern a gallant fishing-rod,
All sporting in the breaze untill the hook in ivy caught,
And then the little lad he tried to pull it harder than he ought.
III.
It broke, alas! and so messeems fades life's perplecksing dreems,
And vanish like that fishing-rod all in the dark messeems.
I wonder if my perplecksing dreems will vanish like the rod in the
dark,
And I shall rise and rise and rise and rise all like a lark.
IV.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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