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Show VERDICT OF A JURY OF BOYS. When Dr. Nathaniel Prentice taught a public school in Roxbury, he was very much of a favorite, but his patience pa-tience at times would get nearly exhausted ex-hausted by the infraction of school rules by the scholars. On one occasion, occa-sion, in a rather wrathy way. he th eatened to punish the first boy detected de-tected in whispering with six blows of the ferule, and appointed some detectors. detect-ors. Shortly after one of these detectors de-tectors shouted : "Master, John Zeigler is whispering." whisper-ing." John was called up and asked if it was a fact. (John, by the way was a favorite both of the teacher and his schoolmates.) "Yes," answered John, "I was not aware what I was about. I was intent on working out a sum and reauested the one who sat next to reach me the arithmetic that contained the rule which I wished to see." The doctor regretted his hasty threat, but told John he could not suffer him to whisper and escape the punishment, and continued : "I wish I could avoid it, but I cannot can-not without a forfeiture of my word, and a consequent loss of my authority. I will leave it to any three scholars you may choose to mention whether or not I remit the punishment." John said he would agree to that, and immediately called out G-. S.,T. D. and D. P. D. The doctor told them to'return a verdict, which they soon did, after consultation, as follows : "The master's woid must be kept inviolate John must receive the threatened punishment of six blows of the ferule ; but it must be inflicted on volunteer proxies, and we, the arbitrators, ar-bitrators, will share the punishment by receiving, each of us, two of the blows," John, who had listened to the verdict, ver-dict, now steps up to the doctor, and with outstretched hand exclaims : "Master, here is my hand ; they shan't be struck a blow ; I will receive the punishment." "The doctor, under pretense of wiping wip-ing his face shielded his eyes, and telling tell-ing the boys to go to their seats, said he would think of it I believe he did think of it to his dying day, but the punishment was never inflicted. Ex. |