Latin and mathematics were made clear in a similar way.
"It was almost too good to last," the boys said after the first day's experience of this new method of teaching; but it did last.
A considerable portion of the work out of school was devoted to the keeping up the facts they had learned, for Mr.Porson was constantly going back and seeing that their memories retained the facts they had acquired, and what they called examinations were a part of the daily routine.
In some points upon which Mr.Hathorn had laid the greatest stress Mr.
Porson was indifferent--dates, which had been the bane of many a boy's life and an unceasing source of punishment, he regarded but little, insisting only that the general period should be known, and his questions generally took the form of, "In the beginning or at the end of such and such a century, what was the state of things in England or in Rome ?" A few dates of special events, the landmarks of history, were required to be learned accurately, all others were passed over as unimportant.
It was not that the boys worked fewer hours than before, but that they worked more intelligently, and therefore more pleasantly to themselves.
The boys--and there were some--who imagined that under this new method of teaching they could be idle, very soon found out their mistake, and discovered that in his way Mr.Porson was just as strict as his predecessor.

He never lost his temper; but his cold displeasure was harder to bear than Mr.Hathorn's wrath; nor were punishments wanting.
Although the cane was idle, those who would not work were kept in the schoolroom during play hours; and in cases where this was found to be ineffectual Mr.Porson coldly said: "Your parents pay me to teach you, and if you do not choose to be taught I have only to write home to them and request them to take you away.

If you are one of those boys who will only learn from fear of the cane you had better go to some school where the cane is used." This threat, which would have been ineffective in Mr.Hathorn's time never failed to have an effect now; for even Mather, the idlest and worst boy there, was able to appreciate the difference between the present regime and the last.

In a marvelously short time Mr.Porson seemed to have gauged the abilities of each of the boys, and while he expected much from those who were able' to master easily their tasks, he was content with less from the duller intellects, providing they had done their best.
After a week's experience of Mr.Porson, Ned gave so glowing an account to his father of the new master and his methods that Captain Sankey went down to the school and arranged that Charlie, now ten years old, should accompany his brother.

There were several boys no older than he; but Charlie differed widely from his elder brother, being a timid and delicate child, and ill fitted to take care of himself.