OLD HATLEYBURY. 151 



had no sort of application at College when I was there, for a 

 President had to be appointed at each wine-party, to call upon the 

 guests in turn, and prevent all singing, or rather shouting, together. 

 Our rooms were small, but the numbers who wished to join in the 

 singing were very great, so the College carpenter was called in, with 

 the consent of the professors, to make narrow tables, after the 

 pattern of Evans's, the fashionable music-hall of those days. But 

 even this scheme would not admit every candidate for musical 

 honours, and one stout fellow, who was left in the cold outside, 

 would not hesitate to kick in a lower panel of the door, thrust in his 

 head with half his body, and, whilst on all-fours, join vociferously in 

 the chorus, which of course was intermingled with uproarious 

 laughter at the undignified position of the enthusiast. 



When the party ended, as almost everyone rejoiced in the name 

 of Mac something or other, or hailed from Scotland, the culminating 

 "Auld Lang Syne," put every other chorus completely in the shade; 

 for a dozen sons of Anak would raise their legs upon the table, and 

 swing their arms on high in a manner almost fearful to behold. 

 But I could generally hold my own, and make my voice heard above 

 the rest, even in this triumphant song, and though I hailed from 

 England. 



My father came and stayed one night at Haileybury. I giving up 

 my room to him, advising at the same time that he should " sport 

 his oak ;" but this he refused to do, being a man of metal. He told 

 me afterwards how much amusement he derived from a stream of 

 tradesmen dropping in, hoping to see me, and get an order for almost 

 any mortal thing of luxury which could be named ; clothes, cigars, 

 scent, anything which was not really wanted ; but their surprise was 

 quite exhilarating to behold, when, instead of finding me at home, 

 they saw a grave and reverend senior, sitting up in bed reading with 

 the aid of spectacles. 



Subsequently, when we went round the place, and my father saw 

 carts, traps, and other vehicles waiting at the gates to carry us ofif 

 to billiards, the boats, Rye House, and other places of amusement ; 



