Morning journal and courier., 1891-03-21

them in charge of under-masters them selves, whom he compelled to make homes of the halls or resign. Then he turned his attention to the boys. He told them plainly that their days of fogging like wild beasts were past. He insisted that they were gentlemen, and should be treat ed by every one connected with Rugby school as such. He became one of them, and made them know his trust in them was absolute 'If you say it is so: your word is quite enough" was his invariable answer to the most preposterous school boy romance. It soon became a positive crime at Rugby to lie to Dr. Arnold, and it meant ostracism, or worse. from his comrades to the lad that thus insulted the whole school. Dr. Arnold also practically turned over the government of the school, in all petty matters, to the boys them selves, appointing prepostors from among the eleyerest and most manly, bestowing upon them privileges and rewards, and ex- acting certain duties, well as the strict est accountability. This abolished bully ing and the lawless tyranny of brute strength in the everyday life of the schol- ars. School traditions were not interfered with. Tagging" was retained; but by making it the exclusive right of ''The Sixth Form, it became more refined and bearable. He encouraged every manly sport by genuine sympathy and personal attention and oversight. Better than all, he got down among the boys, and, with out cant, preached such sermons to the students as appealed to their intelligence and the practical necessities of their every day life. Never but once did he speak testify to a scholar at Rugby. On this oc. casion he lost patience with dullard. ''Why do you speak angrily, sirs I am doing the best I can,H the boy retorted. In relating the incident Dr. Arnold assert ed that he had never felt so ashamed in his life. From this really great mans la bors Rugby schooling became the syno- nym of all manly requirements Because his successors have followed closely the lines laid down, the educational system of all England has been immeasurably in- proved by this one magnificent model.
 Rugby town of to-day has little to at tract the strangers attention aside from its famous school. Perhaps mile from the center of the place, which I presume houses no more than seven thousand souls, Rugby scholars included, is the railway station, one of the handsomest of the in numerab!e splendid railway stations of England. From this, two long. uninter- esting streets, half built with modern and mediocre habitations, occasionally inter spersed with unattractive shops, lead up to the old town. It stands on gentle em- thence. from which a wide surrounding tract of splendidly cultivated champagne country, the rich plantations of gentle mems seats and ancient demesnes, tiny matched hamlets nestling among elms and sycamores, and the gentle windings of the river Avon. can be seen. A maze of lilly cobbled streets with narrow pavemeuts crowd each other for entrance to a little. irregular oblong market place, forming all manner of fantastic curvings and angles where they merge into it. On this market square are the ancient inns, one that stands for the Spread Eagle" at which ''Tom Brown was set down when he came in the Tally-ho from Ellington, and another one, still more ancient, known as the ''Three Horseshoes;" the old book shops of the place. where bargains that would do credit to London East End dick erers are made with the Rugby lads for school-books, old and new; one or two perk drapers' stores: a few jewellers and music-dealers; and any number of ''sweets" stalls. with their endless tempt ings to the school-bo palate and purse. But the qGaintest of these are of the market place; near it on the by-streets They are all half-hcuses and shops. A bell like a nre-gong announces your eE- trance. Four generations Of servers are l in waiting. Old, old men reminding one of little Nell's" grandfather are perched | in dark. platformed corners on carved old chairs of state. \ daughter, nearly as old, appears with rush from the living room. as though long and varied skirmish- es with solemn-visaged but ingenious youths had made her alert for device o1 reprisal still younger matron, perhaps widow, is pothering among the boxes and shelves; and prim, peachy and pru- | dent, q young miss, conscious of her value | as trGdemagnet where there are thou | sand lads to know pretty face when they | see it, comes ont of the half-lights, radi- | ant, wheedling presence In every one of | these by-street shops the shillings and pence of the Rugby lads are the entire | quarry; and everything dear to a boys | heart from cricket-bats tn leaden ''pas- | tiesn comprise the stock in-trade. Queer
 old shop keepers all. are they: quaint as
 from the last-century picture books; and
 they still keep the coin of the realm in | leathern bags, and test suspicious six, pences and thlippenuy bits with theii
 teeth, here in Rugby.
 | Near the market square, along these by | streets are many curious old nests o
 homes; little stone pens with tiny win ] dows, heavy overhanging gables, chimney
 a fourth as large the houses, strang
 carved easements, low and narrow door
 strong enough to withstand a siege, al
 covered by masses of ivy so packed an,
 dense that they seem like habitations GU
 out of verdure- matted rock. Everywher
 are giant old sycsmores and elms: and yol
 irresistibly follow one of these sweet olt | streets out on its London ward way, |
 catch with Tom Browns" eyes tn
 glimpses which thrilled his boyish heart | ,rl, I.. hot ant, n,
 that memorable journey from Islingtol
 with old 'Blow-hard," the guard, for
 companion, and drank in with innocen
 intoxication, the desperate and lawles
 tales of the brave Rugby lads and thei
 destructive pea a-shooters. ''Werry out-o
 the-way. sir" observed ''Blow-hard'' [
 Tom. in his brief but accurate description
 of Rugby. "No pavin' to streets, nor n lighting 'Mazin' big horse and cattle fsi
 in autumn-lasts a week-just over now
 Takes town week to get clean after it. Old "Blow- hard" might have honestl
 told Tom that Rugby never got clean afte
 her fairs. Nobody ever comes to Rugb
 when there is not horse fair, cattle
 fair, butter and poultry fair, or one hs
 not just been, or is not just going to b.
 That is why the little market place is a
 ways a busy spot, full of long coated heavy jowled buyers, frocked yeomaI
 redfaced, snappy- y-eyed farmers wive
 smocked loSss from the near hamlets, an l bevies of the most radiant faced Englis
 country side lasses, eyes ever behelC Pushing through this medley of folk, yo
 will enter a narrow street, so pinched thu
 it is little better than a shadowy lane, ana not stone's throw from the market plaC
 you come suddenly upon Rugby school i ,, self
 What fine old structure it is-with il