The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-09-20
ENaLIsH scHooLnoY ETH1cs.
Serapins through school work-Unpar.
donsbls Observation-Disclosures,

Scrapins through schuoi work-Unpar.
donablc Observation-Disclosures.
The, average Etonian or Harrovian be-
comes speedily saturated with the con-
viction that he 10 part and parcel OF an
ancient Institution and subject to its
almost i~nviolate conventions. Being in
tensely conservative, he detests reform
and adores tradition. He is at once the
mcst dependent and the mcBt independent
OF creaturcs, slavishly subject 40 member
OF a corporation to q code admittedly
archaic and yet contemptuous OF every
thing and everybody without his own
particular oir9lei
What Ia this codep
1t varies, writes Horace Annesley
vnchell In Youths Comranion. at different
schools and at different seosons. The tonc,
for instance. Of q famous boarding house
may be above or below normal; but the
variation is small. surprisingly small.
comparing one decade with another and
one house with another.
To me Harrow Is almost the only
place in the world which has not changed.
Listening TO Harrow boys Of the present
generation, my own son among the num-
Der, I can hear an echo floating down
the years. What they say and think
have said and thought again and again,
using similar words to express similar
ideoS.
Then az now there was the same glorih-
cation OF games. the same absurd dis
proportion between the interests. not
necessarily conflicting. Of work ard play;
the same recognition and acute criticism
of authority, the same indifference tc
conventions other than their own. the
p1mc intellectual indolenco and physical
activity.
Then GO now IL was the right thing tc
scrape through echool work along the
lines Of least ree'stance. VIC slouched ur
to school; we ran to the playing fields
Pages could be written concerning o
code or honor. TO cheat at games is an
objectionable offence; to rse @oriEs' Il
permissible.
Lying is reckoned nearly as Rad 81
stealing, but many boysA certainly not al
will lilo unblushingly to q master; o.. II
lying he doomed bad form. prevaricatlor
Is es,eemed an opportunity for tho th.
umphant display OF ingenuity and mother
wit.
To-day both at Eton and Harrow,
bullying-h azing. 40 it Is called in America
lis condemned utterly as bad form
In my day tossing in hlankets. roasting
and such barbarous practices were al.
ready obsolete.
Occasionally a new boy was shut ur
In his pod. The beds, let down at night,
we're smut into long cupboards during
the day.
remember n big boy trying the handle
Of my door. / knowing that he was about
to shut me up-a process winch mean,
standing on ones head 10 long al ones
tormenuor onose. Palsied with fright. ]
had wit enough to slip out OF and under
the bed.
Tho big boy seized the end OF the he'd
snd jcri.ca II home into the cupboard
At the came moment I cnciroled his bare
ankles with fingers ICY from fright. he
gave a blood curdling yell end fed.
The old beds. hacked and hewn BY
generations Of Harroyians'. stih remain
but the boys rest in them in horizontal
not vertical. positions.
Anew boy may suffer modification from
being ignored. for unless he comes from
n large preparatory school he is bounc
tn feel sout Of IL for some weeks.
But he need fear no i'll treatment. I'm
less he conspicuously courts It either by
offensive personal habits or undue bumn.
~tiousness. II the newcomer is the RICH,
sort he becomes speedily possessed Of
that familiar spirit-the ge-ius loti.
Tho Limitations Of the public school boy
are remarkable. He Ia curiouslv ircarN
able of en~thusiasIns. or ever Interest "
life. outside his wi circle. he is almost
invariably lukewarm concerning art.
science or any culture except that OF the
body. He a n be made to under.
stand that In refusing to profit by the
ART class intellectual opportunity lyine
beneath his nose he Is not only foolish
but even dishonest, inaemuch as he Il
not -eiv ing his governor'-as he would
express it-'a fair run for his money
He has little sympathy, with por erty
or lnfrmity. although he sposGrihes
sion in the East End. He Ia from ar
American point Of view slightly tainted
with snobbishness; not that he meanly
loves mean t~hings-for he does not--bu,
because he In saturated with q n Of
his class superiority. .
He does not talk about IT,. but he Il
permeated with the conviction that he Is ar
epitome of what a gentleman's son ought
10 DC. nc 10 dioo tOto
world cannot wag on prosperouely with
out him. that a place. a comfortable
billet, awaits him which none other Car
All.
Time. however. will make mincers eal
Of this conviction, for already the board
echool boy, the "outsider,' 10 oompetinf
on equal terms with the young %arietocrat
aud the eeey ~einecures for illiterate
cadets Of noble families have almoet
ceased to be. Personally speakinR.
believe that the public school boy. wher
he wakes up will hold his own, but he il
still napping-sublimely moor scious o.
the troublesome future which lies ahead
Of him.
Years ago the Etonian was depicted In
a comic paper az eaying. solemnly. An,
fellow who leaves Eton knowing any
thing is entitled to call himself a self
educated man" AZ q matter Of fact .
sound education IL offered tn English
nublio school boys, bit only those WHIT
are wise enough TO profit by It.
SOCIETY BELOW STAIRS.
Hotels Have 10 Provide for Several Dif