_pessime_--as
bad as possible--and one might also say for punishment
also; as whoever got a P thereby earned a whipping with that long
strap, concerning which Bert had heard such alarming stories.
It will be seen that, by following out the line upon which each boy's
name stood, his complete record as a scholar
could be seen, and upon this record the doctor
based the award
of prizes at the close of the term. For he was a firm believer in the
benefits of prize-giving, and every half-year, on the day before
the holidays, a bookcase full of fine books, each duly inscribed, was
distributed among
those who had come out at the head in the different
classes, or distinguished themselves by constant good behaviour. Once
that Bert fully
understood
the purpose of this daily record, and the principle upon which the
prize-giving was based, he det
|
