he two families became
neighbours on several subsequent occasions,[1] so that the friendship
was maintained until in due course the boys separated each to his own
way in life--the one to wander in foreign lands, the other to occupy a
responsible position at home.

After spending about a year at private schools, Alfred Wallace was sent
with his brother John to Hertford Grammar School. His recollections of
these school days are full of interest, especially as contrasted with
the school life of to-day. He says: "We went to school even in the
winter at seven in the morning, and three days a week remained till five
in the afternoon; some artificial light was necessary, and this was
effected by the primitive method of every boy bringing his own candle or
candle-ends with any kind of candlestick he liked. An empty ink-bottle
was often used, or the candle was even stuck on to the desk with a
little of its own grease. So that it enabled us to learn our lessons or
do our sums, no one seemed to trouble about how we provided the light."

Though never robust in health, he enjoyed all the usual boyish sports,
especially such as appealed to his imagination and love of adventure.
Not far from the school a natural cave, formed in a chalky slope and
partially concealed by undergrowth, made an excellent resort for
"brigands"; and to this hiding place were brought potatoes and other
provisions which could be cooked and eaten in primitive fashion, with an
air of secrecy which added to the mystery and attraction of the boyish
adventure.

It is curious to note that one destined to become a great traveller and
explorer should have found the study of geography "a painful subject."
But this was, as he afterwards understood, entirely due to the method of
teaching then, and sometimes now, in vogue, which made no appeal
whatever to the imagination by creating a mental picture of the peoples
and nations, or the varied wonders and beauties of nature which
distinguish one country from another. "No interesting facts were ever
given, no accounts of the country by travellers were ever read, no good
maps ever given us, nothing but the horrid stream of unintelligible
place names to be learnt." The only subjects in which he considered that
he gained some valuable grounding at school were Latin, arithmetic, and
writing.

This estimate of the value of the grammar-school teaching is echoed in
Darwin's own words when describing his school days at precisely