an outside appearance. Far more grinding is
this than the poverty inherited from generations which is not ashamed of
itself, and has not as an accompaniment the wounded pride and humiliation
which attacked us.

Some there are who argue that poverty does not mean unhappiness. Let
those try what it is to be destitute of even one companionable friend,
what it means to be forced to exist in an alien sphere of society, what
it is like to be unable to afford a stamp to write to a friend; let them
long as passionately as I have longed for reading and music, and be
unable to procure it because of poverty; let poverty force them into
doing work against which every fibre of their being revolts, as it has
forced me, and then see if their lives will be happy.

My school life had been dull and uneventful. The one incident of any note
had been the day that the teacher, better known as old Harris, "stood up"
to the inspector. The latter was a precise, collar-and-cuffs sort of
little man. He gave one the impression of having all his ideas on the
subjects he thought worthy of attention carefully culled and packed in
his brain-pan, and neatly labelled, so that he might without fluster
pounce upon any of them at a moment's warning. He was gentlemanly and
respectable, and discharged his duties punctiliously in a manner
reflecting credit on himself and his position, but, comparing the mind of
a philanthropist to the Murrumbidgee in breadth, his, in comparison,
might be likened to the flow of a bucket of water in a dray-rut.

On the day in question--a precious hot one it was--he had finished
examining us in most subjects, and was looking at our copy-books. He
looked up from them, ahemed! and fastidiously straightened his waistcoat.

"Mr Harris!

"Yes, sir."

"Comparisons are odious, but, unfortunately, I am forced to draw one
now."

"Yes, sir."

"This writing is much inferior to that of town scholars. It is very shaky
and irregular. Also, I notice that the children seem stupid and dull. I
don't like putting it so plainly, but, in fact, ah, they seem to be
possessed with the proverbial stupidity of country people. How do you
account for this?"

Poor old Harris! In spite of his drunken habits and inability to properly
discharge his duties, he had a warm heart and much fellowshiply humanity
in him. He understood and loved his pupils, and would not have aspersions
cast upon them. Besides, the nip he had taken to brace himself to meet