LETTERS TO HIS CHILDREN 



467 



9. And I took the pen and wrote on the book of the Autographs 



letters pleasant to the eye and easy to read. 

 10. Such as my printers know not : nor the postman — nor the 

 correspondent, who riseth in his wrath and curseth over 

 my epistle ordinary. 



This to his youngest daughter, which, in jesting form, 

 conveys a good deal of sound sense, was the sequel to a 

 discussion as to the advisability of a University education 

 for her own and another boy : — 



Hodeslea, Eastbourne, May 9, 1892. 



Dearest Babs — Bickers and Son have abased themselves, 

 and assure me that they have fetched the Dicty. away and are 

 sending it here. I shall believe them when it arrives. 



As a rule, I do not turn up when I announce my coming, 

 but I believe I shall be with you about dinner-time on Friday 

 next (13th). 



In the meanwhile, my good daughter, meditate these things : 



1. Parents not too rich wish to send exceptionally clever, 

 energetic lad to university — before taking up father's profession 

 of architect. 



2. E.c.e.l. will be well taught classics at school — not well 

 taught in other things — will easily get a scholarship either at 

 school or university. So much in parents' pockets. 



3. E.c.e.l. will get as much mathematics, mechanics, and other 

 needful preliminaries to architecture, as he wants (and a good 

 deal more if he likes) at Oxford. Excellent physical school there. 



4. Splendid Art museums at Oxford. 



5. Prigs not peculiar to Oxford. 



6. Don Cambridge would choke science (except mathe- 

 matics) if it could as willingly as Don Oxford and more so. 



7. Oxford always represents English opinion, in all its ex- 

 tremes, better than Cambridge. 



8. Cambridge better for doctors, Oxford for architects, 

 poets, painters, and all that sort of cattl e. 



9. Lawrence will go to Oxford and become a real scholar, 

 which is a great thing and a noble. He will combine the new 

 and the old, and show how much better the world would have 

 been if it had stuck to Hellenism. You are dreaming of the 

 schoolboy who does not follow up his work, or becomes a mere 

 poll man. Good enough for parsons, not for men. Lavorence 

 will go to Oxford. — Ever your aggrawatin' Pa. 



