responsibility of that; for the boys would have been in such a bad position if the Doctor had flogged them for stealing the whole school would have cut them. Besides, I know the Doctor himself thought this was best." During my stay at Harby, I suppose about five or six hall-lickings took place every halfyear, in our house; of which not more than ten during the five years were apropos of fagging, or arising out of it. There were a few lickings for smoking, and two or three for being seen in suspicious localities; but the large proportion had reference to bullying: and for that odious offence against school society I cannot conceive a more fitting punishment. Regarded even by those who hold the opinion that boys ought not to be allowed the power of thrashing one another with canes, and with all the pomp and circumstance of authority, what more right and fitting than that a boy should, on being detected in bullying and teasing a boy smaller than himself, be publicly bullied and thrashed by a bigger boy than he, before the rest of his schoolfellows? Looked at from a publicschoolboy's point of view, what more consti 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 Nous sommes sans cesse occupés à jeter des petits gâteaux à ce Cerbère qui veille à la porte de notre cœur." sac. MADELEINE. Ir 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 eircumstances be opened, even if it had been left unfastened. The public opinion of our house-the only public opinion we cared about-would have |