Nothing, for instance, has been said of the direct influence of such reading on their own literary style, nor have we considered how far such private reading should be utilised to help on their ordinary school work; but we wished to bring out the one point, which we believed to be vitally important, namely, the necessity for the development of their taste for reading; for if this taste is not acquired, we are agreed that one of the surest sources of happiness and one of the most refining and inspiring influences will be lost to their lives.

Amid so many adverse conditions one is tempted at times to despair, the more so, when we hear of the growing prevalence of magazine societies, and see men and women of apparently good education given over to this love for the poorer ephemeral literature of the day. If that is so with them, how will it be with the rising generation reared from childhood amid this countless host of magazines and short stories. There are, however, on the other hand, several reasons for good hope; one of which, the cheapness of standard works, has already been mentioned. Much of the finest literary quality is now offered at a price within the means of all, and we believe that at any rate in the so-called working classes there is a great prospect of increased culture, and of increased happiness owing to this alone. But for our boys, the one real reason for hope seems to us to lie in the fact, that very many, parents and masters alike, are beginning to awaken to the vital importance of this question, and thoughtfully to realise the special dangers of this age. If such thoughtfulness leads to a hearty co-operation, as we believe it will, we are confident that the true and healthy development of this taste for reading will be, in spite of all difficulties, most effectually promoted.

W. DOUGLAS.

A DAY IN A BOY'S LIFE AT A PREPARATORY SCHOOL.

A boy's life at a Preparatory School is his first plunge into the world. Hitherto his circle has been limited to relatives and friends. If his individuality is not partially lost amid the crowd, it is likely that, first, his imitative faculty will lead him to shape himself in accordance with another than his own pattern; and that, second, the dread of the conspicuousness which is a sure result of eccentricity will cause him to avoid any tendency he may have to become strongly unlike his neighbour. For this reason the preparatory school should endeavour as far as possible not to copy the public school, but rather to make the life there a period of transition. It seems to the present writer that in many ways the preparatory schools have consciously or unconsciously felt this, and that the criticisms directed against them. on the plea of " coddling," etc., lose sight of this important fact. There is a tendency to forget that on entering the school the boy is but a child. It appears proper to state this at the outset, as otherwise the reader is only too likely, if he himself is not a preparatory schoolmaster, to judge the boy's day by the standard in vogue at a public school.

Tommy or Jack, when he comes to a Preparatory School, has to get up for breakfast at 8. Hitherto in his nursery he has probably been helped to dress; here, with some five pairs of eyes watching him, he must dress, tie his own tie, and be down promptly with hair brushed and hands washed.

At breakfast, which does not probably differ much from what he is accustomed to at home, he has to restrain his conversation somewhat, not through any written law, but simply because everyone is not specially interested in him and his doings. After breakfast there is a run in the open air for a little, and then prayers, and school at 9.

School consists of a lesson of about forty-five minutes. Here he has ten companions. The master must be called "Sir," and the boy cannot feel quite as all-important as he was in the schoolroom at home. In his work the competition is probably the most novel point to him. Work gains or loses him places, and he finds an added zest to his lessons. This, however, is not the end-all and be-all of his existence, as he finds as a rule nowadays (to which, perhaps, there are still too many exceptions) that he is praised not for the place he gains so much as the amount of energy he shows. Marks in the Preparatory School are not the sole test of his merits. He soon finds he has to obey the master, as any tricks he may be inclined to play may make him the laughing-stock of the form. At the same time, as a general rule, the cane, impositions, and punishments are not so

frequent as he has been led to believe by books of schoolboy life. The lesson ended, there is a short interval of some five minutes, during which he plays in the open air, and then school again. There are probably about four lessons in the morning, with intervals of play. These lessons are varied, a lesson during which he writes Latin following a vivâ voce lesson in geography or history. Before dinner he has gymnasium, perhaps a lesson in carpentry.

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Dinner is at one o'clock. It is the chief meal of the day, and, besides a plentiful supply of meat, there are vegetables and either fruit tarts or puddings. The boys find they can talk freely, and it is generally the most lively meal of the day. After dinner the boys all change their clothes, and put on football dress. The game is thoroughly enjoyable to boys as a rule, though at some schools it is apt to become monotonous unless varied by other amusements. It therefore happens that one afternoon or perhaps two a week are devoted to hockey or drill, or the carpenter's shop. The usual plan is for half the time to be given to the carpenter, half to the drill sergeant. Drilling is made as interesting as possible, and in a few schools the introduction of the rifle or carbine has made the boys into regular cadet corps. If the school, as generally happens, is in the country or by the sea, there are occasionally walks and runs to vary the amusements, and these if judiciously managed are often the favourite days with young boys. If snow is on the ground the whole school can, with a few toboggans, have a really delightful time, and the wetting they may get is harmless, if a change of clothes is, as is usual, the fixed rule.

About a quarter past three school begins again, and there are from two to three lessons in the afternoon. In some schools there is a light afternoon tea about four, and a supper at 6.30, but more often the supper is the only other meal.

In the afternoon lessons are varied and divided by intervals, as in the morning. The first afternoon lesson lasts from 3.15 to 4, followed by an interval of a few minutes, and then school from about 4.10 to 4.55, and the last fills the space between 5 and 5.45. In winter the boys read to themselves, go into the gymnasium, play games, or talk till about 6.30, when supper comes. Supper consists of fish, bread, butter, jam, with cocoa or perhaps tea. After supper the quite young boys have no more work to do, and can play games, or read or talk till bedtime, which is 7.45. The older boys have from half an hour to an hour to prepare their work for next day, and go to bed at 8.30 or nine.

Two days a week are half-holidays, and on these afternoons there is often a match arranged with some other school. This is a very popular institution both with those who play and those who watch. On other half-holidays, rambles with a master, or a run over the country, or, if at the seaside, along the seashore may be arranged. In the evening of one of the half-holidays there is often an entertainment, a lecture with lantern slides, or perhaps a school concert.

In the summer term cricket takes the place of football. This term is generally the most popular. There is not time to get tired of cricket in thirteen weeks; the term is by far the best as regards weather. There is bathing and swimming in the river, or the bath, or the sea. A slight rearrangement of time-table gives longer out-of-doors amusement. The walks or rambles on half holidays become far more interesting. You can lie in the heather, catch butterflies, collect the thousand and one things which boys delight to collect. Occasionally, too, there may be an expedition with a pic-nic to an old ruin, or an island near the coast, and this is the day when the young boy comes out in all his natural glory. It is on such a day that the master gains a better knowledge perhaps of a boy's true instincts than at any other time.

Such is the bare outline of the kind of life Tommy finds at a preparatory school. It is difficult to give a vivid idea of what he himself feels about it all. Boys live very much in the present. They are sad when school begins, glad when breaking-up day arrives; but on the whole are happy from day to day, while the term lasts. If anything, the charge against the best preparatory schools is that boys are too well looked after there. It is difficult to imagine that boys can be too well looked after, but the phrase probably means too much supervision. This appears to the present writer to depend more on the spirit of the place than the actual presence or absence of a master. In old days ushers were often refugees from other professions, and their social standing was inferior. Their attitude towards the boys was different. Nowadays, the presence of an assistant master in a crowd of boys at a preparatory school is often less of a burden to the boys themselves than that of a prefect at a public school. Not that the master has less respect paid him, but there is more love and less fear, so that the boys act more freely and naturally. At the same time, there is no doubt an evil far too common-namely, the continual supervision by some master of all the boys. In some schools even the dormitory has its masters' bed actually in the room. That this system of constant supervision is unnecessary and even harmful seems quite clear to the majority of schoolmasters, and in so far as it exists it is likely to die a natural death. There still remains, however, the charge that too much is done for the boys, and too many difficulties are removed. This must depend largely on the character and spirit of the headmaster and his colleagues. In breaking in a colt the skill of the teacher does not remove difficulties, but teaches the animal to overcome them and face them with spirit. In the same manner the skill of a teacher with only ten boys, instead of as at a board school with fifty boys, should not lead him to remove the boys' difficulties, but rather to give them greater courage and independence. The present writer once asked a Board School teacher to take a class of ten boys in his school for a week. The report would have astonished critics, who really believed in this alleged lack of independence. He found fault with the writing not on the