342 MY COUNTRY WANDERINGS 



merit of these rescued children from slumland. 

 Yet, on closer inquiry, one comes to the conclusion 

 that there is no single reason why such happiness 

 and contentment should not reign supreme, for if 

 kind and sympathetic officials, good wholesome 

 food — and enough of it — pure air, excellent 

 hygiene, a first-rate school, sports (indoors and 

 out), a swimming bath, music, etc., do not tend 

 to make these young sons of Britain happy and 

 comfortable, what then on this earth will ? 



The greater portion of the work of the little 

 colony is performed by the boys themselves, else 

 how could the school claim its connection with 

 industry? The boys make their own boots and 

 shoes, tailor their own clothes, do all the farm 

 work under the superintendence of a bailiff, scrub 

 the floors and tables, turn out woodwork with the 

 skill of a trained carpenter, and other good and 

 useful work that need not be detailed. 



The boys range in size and age. Unconsciously 

 you tumble across a tiny tot of nine summers, the 

 little chap looking supremely happy and at peace 

 with all the world. Usually each boy finishes his 

 training at about sixteen years of age, but cases 

 of where boys have left for situations but have 

 misbehaved themselves and been brought back to 

 school are not infrequent, and other circum- 

 stances sometimes result in the old home seeing 

 some of the boys nearly out of their teens before 



