a bed of suffering with a smile upon his lips if he can
only hear, before closing his eyes, that his side has won the game.

* * * * *

Speaking from my experience, I should say that at gymnastic exercises,
and all pastimes requiring a little skill, French boys are more than
the equals of John Bull, junior. They are better at leaping, climbing,
and wrestling. As for swimming, nine out of ten French boys are good
swimmers. They do not want to emulate Captain Webb's feats when they
grow up, because the object or beauty of such feats as his has never
been revealed to them.

But that is the Englishman all through.

Can he swim well? Then he must straightway swim across the English
Channel; he must outswim his fellow-creatures; he must be the champion
of the world, and have the betting in his favor, until he turns his
gift into a hobby, sets off on it, and, to the entertainment of a few
Yankee excursionists, ends by being drowned in the Niagara Falls.

* * * * *

As for the _savate_, the _canne_, fencing, which all bring the
wits into play as well as the muscles, they, even the last-named, are
very little known or practiced in England. In these most young
Frenchmen are well up, and as for gymnastic exercises they are more
practiced in France than in England, although the English boy fondly
imagines he is at the top of the ladder in all matters athletic.

* * * * *

The craze for athletics has inculcated in English boys the admiration
for physical strength. This they like to find in their masters, as well
as firmness of mind.

It is not necessary that masters should use the former. Not by any
means; but there it is, and they might use it.

There is nothing to inspire people with peaceful dispositions like the
sight of a good display of war material.

An ex-colleague of mine became very popular by the following
occurrence, the tale of which spread through the school like wildfire.

This gentleman used to teach in a little class-room that led to the
playground. One day a big boy of seventeen opened the door from the
building, coolly crossed the room, and was about to open the door
opposite to let himself out, when my friend caught hold of him by the
collar, lifted him off the ground, and, to the stupefaction of the
boys, carried him back through the room, as he would have a dog by the
skin of