CHAPTER III 



PRIVATE SCHOOL (1842-1845) 



(Age 8-11) 



When he was eight years old he was sent to 

 Mr. Waring's private school at Abingdon Abbey. 

 Apparently it was an excellent school, but Lady 

 Lubbock notes that " Sir John is rather alarmed 

 at the very aristocratic set of school-fellows 

 little John will have. The boys that will be 

 there when he goes are three Seotts, Duke of 

 Buccleuch's sons ; three Legges, Lord Dartmouth's 

 sons ; Lord Chesterfield's son ; Newdigate, poor 

 Lady Barbara Newdigate's son ; Bathurst, my 

 friend Mrs. Bathurst's only son ; Lord Dunglass ; 

 Peel, a nephew of Sir Robert's ; Lascelles, etc., 

 etc." 



It is evident, however, in spite of the boy's 

 sensitive nature, that he very quickly fell into 

 his place, and found content in this House of 

 youthful Lords. One of his first letters from 

 school — those letters to which a mother looks 

 forward so anxiously to know how the child is 

 faring in that strange new world — is full of 

 happy augury and worthy of quotation for the 



hint that it gives of a fine quality of mind which 



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