flogging, Ludlow expostulated, and demanded to know what he had done to
justify the punishment? Griffith hesitated, and assigned some trifling
reason, frivolous even had it not been unfounded; but he persisted, and
gave Ludlow the flogging. As usual he called me up, and upon his ordering
me to prepare, I followed the example of Ludlow, and demanded the reason;
he gave me a box on the ear, and told me he would inform me after I had
received the flogging. When he had given me this chastisement, as usual
very severely, he said, "Now, sir, this is for what you did yesterday, and
I will flog you to-morrow for what you did the day before," (mentioning at
the same time some trivial circumstance,) "unless you should do something
in the meanwhile to deserve it." Thus he taught me to look forward to a
flogging every day for five or six days to come! This was a little too
bad; to live in anticipation, nay of a certainty, of being flogged every
day for the next week; and I consequently determined to embrace the first
opportunity of taking French leave. I communicated my intention to Ludlow,
who slept in the same room, and he, feeling indignant at the injustice
done him, determined to accompany me.

The next day, being a half holiday, I was to be confined at home to learn
some lines, instead of going out to walk with the rest of the boys; and
Ludlow having agreed to sham illness in the morning, we hoped that we
should by that means be left at home together by ourselves, and if a fair
opportunity offered, we resolved that we would be off. Every thing turned
out as we had anticipated. Ludlow was very ill, and Mrs. Griffith, who was
a very humane, kind-hearted woman, made him lie in bed, where he was
nursed with tea and toast, and other nice things that were necessary for a
sick person. About three o'clock all the other boys went out with the
usher, to take their after noon's walk. I was left at home, and ordered to
remain in the school, to learn a very hard task out of some book, or to
take a flogging in the morning. I went immediately up stairs to inform my