And stood themselves up by the hot fire, and shook off their white cloaks of snow;
And the spokesman, a grave squire of sixty, with countenance solemnly sad,
Spoke thus, while the children all listened, with all of the ears that they had:
"We've come here, school-master, intendin' to cast an inquirin' eye 'round,
Concarnin' complaints that's been entered, an' fault that has lately been found;
To pace off the width of your doin's, an' witness what you've been about;
An' see if it's payin' to keep you, or whether we'd best turn ye out.
"The first thing I'm bid for to mention is, when the class gets up to read:
You give 'em too tight of a reinin', an' touch 'em up more than they need;
You're nicer than wise in the matter of holdin' the book in one han',