of
imaginative history.

THE ADDRESS.

On Tuesday of the next week, May 8, an address was presented by a
deputation of the townspeople to the Headmaster and assistant masters.
The ceremony took place in the school-room, the body of which was almost
filled by those who had assembled to support their deputation, while the
masters, their families, and the Sixth Form were seated on the tiers of
the orchestra. The deputation coming forward, Mr. Bell said that Mr.
Hawthorn and himself had been requested by their fellow townsmen to
undertake the presentation of an address, in explanation of which he
would make a few remarks. In an appreciative speech he reviewed the
circumstances which had given rise to the present occasion, gave some
explanation of the form and terms of the address, and took occasion to
add that although the ladies were not mentioned in the address, the
townspeople were not unmindful of the energetic way in which they had
seconded the efforts of the masters.

MR. HAWTHORN said he had been asked to read the Address, but that he was
unwilling to do so without some slight expression of the feelings with
which he and others took part in the presentation of it. Though they
were met to congratulate the school, they felt, he said, that there were
good grounds to congratulate themselves as townsmen. The absence of the
school had pressed with greater or less severity on many tradesmen, being
felt more especially by a large number of the poorer inhabitants, and had
made it evident to many how poor a place Uppingham would be without a
school upon its present important scale. But they valued the School on
other grounds too; they recognize the advantage of the presence among
them of so many representatives of liberal education and its broader
views on matters of public interest. To the Headmaster it must be a
cause for rejoicing and thankfulness that the labour of his life had been
saved from a sudden and unfortunate conclusion. To him and his assistant
masters, the parents, and the boys, by whose loyal adherence the time of
trial had been happily passed through, their congratulations were
offered. He proceeded to read the address, which was received with much
applause by the townspeople. It is a handsomely illuminated document, to
which between sixty and seventy names are attached; the terms of it are
as follows:

"_To the Rev. Edward Thring, M.A., Headmaster, and to the Assistant
Masters of Uppingham