and two monitors (senior boys) for each ward. These monitors have much to do, and a good deal of patronage is at their command. They assign the boys to the different "trades." There are "cloth boys," who set the table; "knife" and "fork" boys, who clean and arrange those articles; "bread boys," who carry up the bread on their shoulders in large round baskets made for the purpose; "trencher boys;" "jack boys," who fill and serve the beer and water; "platter boys," who bring up the meat in large, round, wooden platters, borne on their heads, and assist the nurse in the office of carving. All such work is done by the boys. But the washing of the utensils is done by servants.

For about half the period of my school-days all our utensils are of wood. We eat our meat and pudding from trenchers, drink our milk from bowls, and beer and water from queer-looking things called "piggins." Then comes a change. Plates, basins, and mugs of good delf ware, handsomely ornamented with the hospital arms, take the place of the old wooden ware. Various opinions are held with reference to the alteration. The conservatives resent it as an innovation. Others rejoice at the presence of articles which remind them of home. One effect is immediate and marked. The "trencher boys" become "plate boys." Their office is to convey the plates in long baskets, each carried by two boys, from the ward to the dining-hall, receive the rations from the carvers, and distribute them. After dinner everything must be carried back to the ward and turned over to the washers. Now, in the first place, the trenchers are lighter than plates; and then if a trip on the stairs, or in the cloister, brings the cargo to grief, the "spill" works no ill to the trenchers, but the like mishap to a basket of earthenware is a serious matter. I take my turn as "plate boy," and find the position a nervous one.

The large platters, the jacks, and the spoons remain of wood.

The steward has all the authority of a master. To him beadles, nurses, and monitors are responsible for the conduct of their several departments. The lazy fellow who won't wash his hands when the "prep." rings is brought before him by nurse or monitor. The "prep." is the preparation bell, which, a quarter of an hour before dinner, calls all blues to get their towels and proceed to the lavatory for an obviously necessary purpose. The rattan comes into action more, perhaps, on this score than on any other. "Smith, did you go to the lavatory to-day?" queries the nurse. "Yes, ma'am," replies Smith, quickly and decidedly, at the same time getting his hands as much mixed up with the tablecloth as possible. "Hold up your hands, Smith." "Yes, ma'am," says Smith, who, finding there is no way out of it, exhibits, with cool effrontery, a pair of paws which look as if they had cleaned a chimney.

This division of the labor of government is doubtless an admirable arrangement, but it works ill to the careless and idly disposed, as I soon find. The fact of having come to grief over one's Cæsar or Cornelius Nepos in the morning has nothing to do with some matter which must be adjusted by the steward at dinner-time; and neither occurrence is known, or would have any weight if it were known, by the gentleman under whose care the writing and arithmetic are conducted in the afternoon. There must be something well-nigh angelic in the boy who will steer clear of these various rocks and shoals for a whole week. In my day angelic boys were

scarce.

The play in London differs materially from that in Hertford. Surrounded as we are by windows, balls cannot be used, but shuttlecocks may. Considerable ingenuity is sometimes exercised to evade this prohibition. For instance, a

single feather will be stuck into an india-rubber ball of about the weight and consistency of a grape-shot; and when a vigorous but unlucky stroke of the wooden battledore has sent this innocent missile full into the stomach of a portly beadle, and he proceeds, after he has recovered his breath, to arrest all the parties concerned, he is indignantly reminded that "shuttlecocks are within the rules." Certain amusements follow each other in regular and unvarying seasons; there are others which are in favor all the year round.

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I find that the allowance of pocket money must be changed into the coinage of the establishment, known to us as houssy" money, before it is negotiable at either of the two "grub shops" in the cloisters. This currency consists of three coins, -a sixpenny piece, a penny, and a halfpenny, all of copper. Many of the goodies sold at these establishments have titles which are traditional and suggestive. Thus a certain confection is known as "white parliament; "a candy formed into red and white bars is called "Buonaparte's ribs."

Wednesday and Saturday are half holidays; each alternate Wednesday a whole holiday and "leave day," when all who have friends near enough may go and visit them. This matter is arranged between the parents and the steward. The school is divided into two classes. Those who reside in or near London, or who have friends who wish to receive them regularly, are placed on the "breakfast list," breakfast being the only meal provided for them by the school on that day. The others constitute the "friendless list,"

a forlorn title, but not so sad as it sounds. They are boys who live too far from London to reach home on "leave days," and are allowed outside the gates only on the written request of friends or acquaintances designated by their parents. As a reward for good

behavior, the masters have the power of giving any boy not on the "friendless list" permission to "go out" on either of the half holidays.

This permission is signified by a small oval brass tablet suspended from the button-hole by a red cord. This we call a "ticket." A favorite delinquency of the wickedly inclined is to get a piece of red cord, attach it to the button-hole, slip past the porter through the gates, and if discovered claim to have broken the ticket off the cord by accident.

But the wickedly inclined ought to be few, if religious training and observance have power to check the increase. Besides the Scripture-reading in school, we have a short service with psalm singing and chanting at each meal, and prayers in the ward before bedtime. The Sunday routine is breakfast at eight. The interval between breakfast and the morning service is occupied by walking decorously about the playgrounds. This is the great conversational opportunity. Then chums compare notes as to the delights of the past vacation, and the yet more glowing anticipations of the next one; the opinions of the result of the coming fight — there are generally one or more on hand

are expressed and debated; the enormities of tyrannical monitors are anathematized, and the characters of masters criticised. The gossip of school life has full flow until half past ten; at which time we "fall in " to our appointed places in the cloisters, so as to be ready to march into Christ Church, situated just outside the gate, at eleven. At this time the caps must be worn, or rather laid on the heads, for they are too small to fit after the fashion of ordinary hats. Except for this short period, they are kept in the Sunday coat pockets.

The morning service in church is a severe ordeal for knees and backs. Every boy has a Bible and Prayer Book bound together, quite a heavy volume. There is no hymn between the close of the

litany and the opening of the ante-communion service, so that from the "collect for grace" to the "epistle" we kneel upon hard wood, with nothing to lean against, either before or behind, with heavy books in our hands. Occasionally a weak boy faints, topples over, creates intense confusion, and is carried out by his nearest neighbors, who usually regard the interruption as a pleasant break in the service. Not infrequently such faintings are manufactured for the purpose. At one we dine. After dinner we sit in the wards, and recite the catechism and psalms until the afternoon service. Then supper, followed by a sermon in the dining-hall from the head master.

During the Sundays in Lent this routine is varied by the "public suppers." The great chandeliers are lighted; the Lord Mayor and aldermen arrive in procession, accompanied by the governors; an anthem is sung, after which we march round, two and two, the "trade boys" carrying their baskets, etc., and make our bow to the "powers that be." Sometimes we have more distinguished guests. The Duke of Cambridge is a frequent visitor. He is a splendid-looking old gentleman, with bluff, hearty manners, which have a supreme charm for us. We are especially delighted when, in one instance, the city guests are crowding about him, and he scatters them by the loud exclamation, "I did n't come here to see the people; I came to see the boys."

Once we have the honor of making our bow to Queen Victoria. This is a great occasion. From the grand entrance to the chair of state carpets are laid. The Grecians conduct her majesty to the hall, and the reception is really a grand sight.

On Easter Monday and Tuesday we go in procession to the Mansion House, and escort the Lord Mayor back to Christ Church to hear a sermon. At

this season we wear a paper pinned on the left breast of the coat, bearing the words "He is risen." On the Tuesday we receive two buns, a glass of sherry, and a new shilling. This largess is paid by the Lord Mayor himself, arrayed in his robes of office. It is the accumulation of various bequests, some of which date from the days of the Stuarts.

Soon after my arrival from Hertford I am selected to participate in another ancient ceremony, and go with about fifty other boys to All Hallows Church, where we chant. After the service we are each presented with a penny and a paper of raisins. On our way back we are greeted with the derisive shouts of the street cads, who know what we have been doing, and sing at us the following refrain:

"Come, little blue-coat boy,

Come, come, come:
Sing for a penny and
Chant for a plum."

We treat these witticisms with silent contempt, attributing the jeers to envy.

In such doings and misdoings the school years pass away. I leave a couple of years before the regular time, to go

to sea.

A brief sketch of the origin and progress of the school may not be uninteresting. It is generally supposed to have been founded by King Edward VI., but this is not altogether correct.

Toward the end of his reign, Henry VIII. gave the Gray Friars' Church which, since the suppression of the monasteries, had been used as a storehouse for plunder taken from the French — to the city of London, to be devoted to the relief of the poor. After the accession of Edward VI., that monarch confirmed

the gift. The parishes of St. Ewin, St. Nicholas, and part of St. Sepulchre's were united in one, and called Christ Church.

Edward lived about a month after signing the Charter of Incorporation of the Royal Hospitals. The citizens,

roused by the king's fervor and touched by his untimely death, set to work with gold and steel, and in six months the old Gray Friars' monastery was patched up sufficiently to accommodate three hundred and forty boys.

These examples of bounty were followed, from time to time, by various individuals. Kings, queens, nobles, merchants, and tradesmen have all contributed to enrich the school, improve its buildings, and develop its resources. Valuable openings in life for the conspicuously diligent and bright are in its gift. The boys who are prepared for the sea, upon passing their Trinity House examination, are each presented with a good watch, a sea chest, a full outfit of clothes, books, and mathematical instru

ments.

Four "Grecians," as the college scholars are called, are annually sent to Cambridge with an exhibition of eighty pounds a year, and one to Oxford with one hundred pounds a year; both tenable for four years. There are also the Pitt Club scholarship and the Times scholarship, each of thirty pounds a year, for four years, awarded by competition to the best scholar in classics and mathematics combined, and held by him in addition to his general exhibition. Upon proceeding to the university each Grecian receives twenty pounds for books, ten pounds for apparel, and thirty pounds for caution money and settling fees.

The age of admission to Christ's Hospital is from seven to ten. Usually, the boys are supposed to leave at fifteen; but the Grecians and sea boys of course remain until sufficiently advanced in their studies.

The many bequests and the increase in the value of the investments have made the foundation very rich. Its gross income is said to amount to seventy thousand pounds per annum, of which about forty-two thousand pounds are expended in education. The administra

tion of this great trust is receiving its share of the scrutiny to which modern ideas are subjecting all charitable institutions. Whether the wishes of the founders are being fulfilled; whether the boys receiving the benefits are proper objects of the bounty; whether all the good is being done which the great expenditure ought to command, are questions which are being earnestly considered.

I have observed from time to time, within the last thirty years, severe criticisms upon the management of the school, which may or may not be just. An accurate judgment upon such a subject cannot be formed without personal knowledge of circumstances and data. If the entire period of its existence be taken into account, it has certainly turned out its fair share of conspicuously successful men. But the history of all such establishments exhibits fluctuations of merit. So much depends upon the personal characteristics and capacities of one or two individuals, and so impossible is it always to make a wise selection of managers, that unvarying excellence can hardly be looked for. Under one head master a school will be strong and flourishing; under another, feeble and drooping.

Of my own experience at Christ's Hospital I can speak with more confidence. On the whole, my opinion is decidedly in favor of the school.

The system as then carried out was admirably adapted to develop self-reliance, and fit the boys for any position in life they were likely to occupy. The masters were gentlemen, and, generally succeeded in communicating the tone of their thought and manner to the boys. There was too much caning; but that was then the common fault of schools everywhere. I recollect only one instance of a master showing himself to be a tyrant and a bully.

Upon the subject of the thoroughness of the teaching, the patient, deliberate,