I once knew the teacher of a school who made it his custom to have writing attended to in the afternoon.

The school was in the country, and it was the old times when quills, instead of steel pens, were universally used.

The boys were accustomed to take their places at the appointed hour, and each one would set up his pen in the front of his desk for the teacher to come and mend them.

The teacher would accordingly pass around the school-room, mending the pens, from desk to desk, thus enabling the boys, in succession, to begin their task.

Of course, each boy, before the teacher came to his desk, was necessarily idle, and, almost necessarily, in mischief.