MARLBOROUGH COLLEGE. 107 



torn from home, as I was at the age of eight, and when they are ill 

 they have their mother's care ; whilst when I caught the scarlet 

 something at school, I was shut up in a small attic by myself, in 

 company with hideous night-mares. There were no sisters of mercy 

 in those days, at least I don't remember seeing any. But I remem- 

 ber very well crawling out of bed to get my jacket, and stuff some 

 crusts, which I could not eat, into the pocket, fearing I might be 

 blamed for leaving wholesome food. When the slavey came to tell 

 me I was well, and should have to go back to School, she exclaimed 

 to her companion, " Why, bless the boy, he's got a pocket full of 

 corks." 



But those were the tentative days of Marlborough College, when 

 an experiment was being made, how to rear the greatest number of 

 parsons' sons at a minimum of cost. 



Then again, the labourer, if he is a good one, can find constant 

 employment in his native village; and is not compelled to go abroad 

 to earn his bread, as I and all my brothers were. In fact, if some 

 scheme can be devised, as I sincerely hope it will, to give the 

 labourer a comfortable old age at home, there will be little left for 

 him to complain about, if only like Virgil's rustic, he can appreciate 

 the blessings and advantages he enjoys. 



The best scheme undoubtedly will be one which induces thrift. 

 The Poor- Law gives scant encouragement to that useful virtue now, 

 and if this fact is doubted, listen to a tale of woe. 



The only thrifty labourer I ever knew, had such an inextinguishable 

 horror of the workhouse, that during a long life he scraped together 

 out of his wages — which never could have exceeded twelve shillings 

 weekly — one hundred pounds. But when his day was over, and the 

 night was coming on, the Relieving Officer got wind of this unusual 

 hoard of gold, and refused to give him help, either in money or in 

 bread, so long as he could make his savings last, although the 

 spendthrift and the drunkard were being liberally supplied. This 

 appeared of course such hard lines, that he would mount to the very 

 summit of his roof, and loudly proclaim against all idea of thrift, 



