Even those of them who lived or boarded in the southern half of the village found their way across the green, coming and going, under the shade of the most northerly row of trees.
As to the "great room" itself, there had been much trouble about the name of it.

Dr.Brandegee called it "the lecture-room," and he did a great deal towards making it so.

There were those who tried to say "chapel" when they spoke of it; but so many others refused to know what place they were speaking of, that they had to give it up.

"Hall" would not fit, because it was square; and the boys generally rejected the doctor's name because of unpleasant-ideas connected with the word "lecture." So it came to be "the great room," and no more; and a great thing it was for Dick Lee to find himself sitting on one of the front seats of it, with his friends all in line at his right, waiting their turn with him to be "classified," and sent about their business.
Dr.Brandegee made wonderfully rapid work of it; and his several assistants seemed to know exactly what to do.
"The fact is," said Ford, the first chance he had to speak to Dab, "I've been studying that man.

He's taught school before." "Guess he knows how, too.