New-York tribune., 1891-12-23
FROM POVERTY TO A THRONE.

London letter to The Chicago Inter-Ocea.
there Is no greater lottery than The Church OF Eng,
land one one man Ssysr ses s'' any ~ Of the prizes An
other man, with more brains than He nrs,' sss ap
from nothing with nothing reaches n,sd ~ cIereymen Of
the Church OF England gentlemen by brth, ~ o fs
lent talents and rare SSa9asP; ea Year or less Many Of
them never have S40O year clear 10 Keep My a
family on and maintain decent & poIId none ~ hut luck
from START TO finish, and arrive at hqhors Wncu hr
have been and what they are. DR.. Edward White Ben,
son belongs distinctly TO the latter division lie ia ia, az
along been one Of the mckiest OF he luchy ones, ne
Birmingham, aud was educated at King bawsfu' vd,un
school that town lie never Tesy aaSaS sS tng Tho
great public schools Of England Eton n. HaGoH RI Ge a
tocrsey are educated at an expense of $3.50 or - 900
year. l0ok down even on such famous seats Of learn earn
te house, Rings College School, ST. Paus school or
Merchant Taliors. As for the schools founded oy
Es E s sF Or na F Wsd at sag
ham. they regard them little better than charity
Yet It was at one OF these despised seminares,--
which, In reality good schools as there arc IN
the wSS6a m the aver haS e OF a so w s3
however that he was sent to Trinity cQegc lnSa Cam n,
bridge one Of the gands' Ss r topS @ s he bsa sG G do
was TO 20 straight ahead To be anything of scholar
at Trinity College means having very confortaoe Ia 2
income and enjoying all sorts Of opportunities. Young
Benson worked like slave, ard took eyery hing that
was to be taken lie gained first a Scholarship then
fsllowship-wth S2 900 year as long as the fellow
remains unmarried-graduated firstclass and senior
opllme, and left the university carrying with him
almost all the university could give TO so young man
II Just then that he showed his good Judgment Id
pushing his own fortunes. lie had taken holy orders
and most young cergymen after Such bnnaht col,
lego conrse would have accepted college living ana
settled down country parson, never, probably, To
be heard OF again.
Henson knew better lie sought and obtained an
assistant mastcrshp at Rugby, and cheerfuly appheh
him self 70 the drudgery of second class public school
When the Church Of England threatened with
disostabi shment Lord Beaconsfeld wittly remarked
that fwoud never be In real danger long as the
clergy had tho privilege Of nogging the nobility
What he meant was that the noMty were al DrDugn'
men and long as that were go the influence of
the clergy over their former pupils would always be
enough TO protect the Church. From the same cause
public school is pretty snre to get promotion, and no
one krew that better than Benson From being an
assistant master at Rugby he was made head master
Mt Rugby College magnificent school founded IN
lass as a memorial to the great Duke of Wellington,
for the sons OF officers only but afterward thrown
open TO all who could afford to pay the fees and pass
for his abilities. and II Is not too much to that he
was the making Of Wellington College. lie was head
master for fourteen years and though the boys were
not particularly distinguished for learning or athletics
tocratic every year. What DR.. Benson-for be was
now a doctor OF divinity thoroughly understood was
the art OF managing parents HIS ssnt-like face and
such rush to wellington College that hundreds were
refused every term. 1t not likely that such a
successful headmaster should sIsad az az his life i9 that
yet,lei would accept In 1872 when s only forty three,
he was made canon resdentary and chancellor OF
lincoln Cathedral while both oxford and Cambridge
made him select preacher to the university. a very
rare honor indeed.
lie never was a really nne preacher and he never