overburdened with
school-rates, free education should be offered in the public schools to
the children of the well-to-do and even wealthy people. To give
opportunities to those who have clever children and cannot afford to
pay for their education, such was the spirit which dictated the
foundation of scholarships and exhibitions in the public schools, which
schools are under the supervision of the Charity Commissioners.

The Charity Commissioners! The organizers of that well-ordered British
charity which begins at home!

But all this again does not concern me. If it did, I should say to
gentlemen enjoying revenues of L700, L800, and L1,000 a year: "My dear
sirs, you can afford to pay school fees for your children; please to
leave these scholarships to your less fortunate countrymen."

My diary contains a few recollections about foundation scholars and
their parents which suggested the foregoing remarks to me. Pardon me
for having given them a place here.

* * * * *

I have always noticed that the parents of foundation scholars are much
more troublesome and exacting than those who pay their twenty or thirty
pounds a year to the school for their sons' tuition fees.

The school is their property, the masters their servants, and when
complaints are lodged with the authorities you may be sure they come
from them.

They imagine, for instance, that the school ought to provide the boys
with books, and think it very hard that they should be called upon to
pay for them. When their sons are ordered to get a new book, they
generally take a fortnight to obtain it.

"Where is your book?" you say to a scholar you see looking at his
neighbor's.

"Please, sir, it has not come yet; I have ordered it at the stores."

Two weeks later the book makes its appearance.

When the boys raise subscriptions for their sports, which ought to be
supported especially by those who owe a debt of gratitude to the
school, or for a testimonial got up in favor of a retiring master, or
in memory of a celebrated old pupil, the few recalcitrants are
invariably to be found among the free scholars.

* * * * *

Our boys one day decided on founding a little literary society. As a
few periodicals were to be bought and other little expenses incurred,
their committee passed a resolution that an annual subscription of five
shillings should be demanded of the members.

A f