tutional than that the house should punish those who render its members uncomfortable: that the society should chastise those who commit offences against itself. The cane is an abomination, I well know, for I have often felt its cutting and stinging force; but a rough handling with fists, and all its concomitant bruises-lasting ten days, during which they change to every colour of the rainbow-the racking headache, and the soiled clothes, are surely a less satisfactory way of reducing the offender to order; and certainly extremely undignified for the executioner, who would, probably, find himself involved in a personal encounter. As for setting lines to be learned or written out, it is done to some small extent; but, of course, it interferes with school-work, as well as with masters' punishments: besides, were lines ordered to be written, the culprit would, probably, make his victim write them for him, and thus the punishment would fall on the wrong shoulders after all. Looking calmly back, now, I have faith in the institution of "hall-lickings." CHAPTER XVI. PUBLIC SCHOOL MORALITY. "But och mankind are unco' weak, An' little to be trusted; If self the wavering balance shake BURNS. "Ceux qui ne sont pas hypocrites avec les autres, le sont quelquefois avec eux-mêmes; nous rusons avec notre conscience. Nous avons pour la tromper mille roueries dans notre sac. Nous sommes sans cesse occupés à jeter des petits gâteaux à ce Cerbère qui veille à la porte de notre cœur." MADELEINE. It is easy and pleasant to relate one's experiences of school-life, and to recur to all the happy days we spent there; to recall schoolboy adventures, and place them on record with the idea that they may interest readers, by awakening old associa tions and early memories-touching some chord which has not vibrated for years, or opening a new page in human history to those whose youthful days bear no such recollections; but it is difficult to recall our nascent feelings of duty, honour, and morality,-so different were they then from what they now are. Yet the morality of Harby, though certainly not so strict nor so firmly based on principle as that which in after life becomes the rule of most men's conduct, was severe on many points, if lax in some; and so peculiarly inconsistent were its rules, that it was most difficult to learn, and most hard to act up to them. A new boy fresh from home, with clear undoubted notions of right and wrong, having a very decided opinion on the subject of truth and falsehood, and who (however he might fail in what he considered his duty) had no doubt in his mind as to what that duty consisted in doing or in leaving undone, was strangely puzzled on his first arrival at school, to find how much the life he was entering upon differed from what he was accustomed to at home. Hence, many new boys would imagine that the mantle of a prophet at least had fallen upon them, and would preach strict doctrine on every occasion, and often when no occasion presented itself at all; thus drawing down upon themselves laughter and derision from their audience, if not more striking proofs of the unpopularity of such a proceeding. In a few months, however, they found their level among us: if strong-minded and zealous, they formed a circle for themselves, in which the school tone of morality was elevated; if irresolute and weak, they joined with the majority, and gave in their adhesion to the average standard of mœurs publiques. And a curious standard it was: what a number of (to say the least) doubtful things you might do without losing caste, while there were many equally improper acts which you could not commit with impunity! A study-door might be burst open, should its occupant have unfortunately locked it up on his way to school or play-ground; but a cupboard containing his allowances of tea or sugar, or a drawer full of paper or postage stamps, could under no circumstances be opened, even if it had been left unfastened. The public opinion of our house-the only public opinion we cared about-would have borne any one out in the deliberate felony of a Latin grammar or a Virgil; while no judge and jury would have been so severe as we were on the dandy who had cut another's geranium for his buttonhole, or appropriated a pair of gloves not his own. The boy who demurred to the master's accusation that the lesson had never been looked at a statement founded on the fact of the said youth being utterly unaware of the place when required to construe-and affirmed that he had spent a full hour over its study last night, would only have to settle with his own conscience in the matter; but the smallest equivocation to a præpostor on duty, not only insured the delinquent a good licking on discovery, but, in most cases, led to his being sent to Coventry by the rest of the house, and to his losing caste among his schoolfellows for many months. These broad rules were again divided into numerous subdivisions, many of them apparently without rhyme or reason, as far as the inexperienced new boy could discover. The "book-bagging," to call it by no stronger name, was to me the most inexplicable of all |