First Days at Colegio Anglo Peruano

A week after my arrival the Colegio opened for the second term. The library was assigned to me as my place of study and there I slogged in at Spanish morning and afternoon, whenever I was not keeping order in some class whose teacher had not turned up. This was a job I hated as my Spanish was very limited and the boys, who were naturally frisky, delighted in having as much fun as possible at my expense. There were two Perata brothers were in the fourth year High School who led me a merry dance. Although not twins they were much alike. I would take the name of one of them, which would be called out for detention at the line up before dismissal in the afternoon. The innocent one would promptly fall out while the guilty one would make a beeline for home as soon as he reached the street. The innocent Perata would then protest that he was being accused of his brothers misdeeds and promptly be released.

All young missionaries were expected to belong to the Union Church choir at that time, and I was no exception. Mary Hutcheson volunteered to take me along to the practise after school during my first week. She was an innocent little soul and had no idea at all as to what went on just around the corner from the Plaza Francia, especially in Calle Salud. She told me she knew a shortcut to Pasahe Inclan where the Lima High School for girls was situated and there the practise was to be held. So off we set walking the whole length of that infamous street, which in those days was the red light district.  She was very short and was red headed and I am over six feet tall. The women came out of their dens to see this great sight and make comments, none of which I could understand. When I asked Mary what the explanation was, she did not know herself. However we reached the choir practise safely and I don’t think Mary ever did find out where she had been.