r"
or a "Reverend," but was a young man with sandy whiskers, and a red
tie--had a few ideas of his own on the subject of dry-rot. He evidently
preferred ripping up entire floors to patching single planks, and he
positively scared his colleagues and pupils by the way he set to work.
He was young and enthusiastic, and was perhaps tempted to overdo things
at first. When people are being reformed, they need a little breathing
time now and then; but Mr Frampton seemed to forget it.

He had barely been in his post a week when two of the under-masters
resigned their posts. Undaunted he brought over two new men, who shared
his own ideas, and installed them into the vacancies. Then three more
of the old masters resigned; and three more new men took their places.
Then the "experienced matron" resigned, and Mrs Frampton took her
place. No sooner was that done than the order went out that every boy
should have a cold bath every morning, unless excused by the doctor.
The school couldn't resign, so they sulked, and gasped in the unwelcome
element, and coughed heart-rendingly whenever they met the tyrant. The
tyrant was insatiate. Before the school could recover from his first
shock, the decree for compulsory football staggered it.

Compulsory football! Why, half the fellows in the school had never put
their toes to a football in their lives, and those who had had rarely
done more than punt the leather aimlessly about, when they felt in the
humour to kick something, and nobody or nothing more convenient was at
hand. But it was useless to represent this to Mr Frampton.

"The sooner you begin to play the better," was his reply to all such
objections.

But the old goal posts were broken, and the ball was flabby and nearly
worn-out.

"The new goals and ball are to arrive from London to-day."

But they had not got flannels or proper clothes to play in.

"They must get flannels. Every boy must have flannels, and meanwhile
they must wear the oldest shirts and trousers they had."

Shirts and trousers! Then they weren't even to be allowed to wear coats
and waistcoats this chilly weather! Hadn't they better wait till next
week, till they could ask leave of their parents, and get their flannels
and practise a bit?

"No. Between now and Saturday they would have two clear days to
practise. On Saturday, the Sixth would play the School at three
o'clock."

And Mr Frampton, there being nothing more to say on this subject, wen