ather immediately wrote to the young president of the new society,
asking if it was compulsory for his boy to join the society, as he did
not see the force of paying five shillings for what, he thought, his
boy was entitled to enjoy for nothing. The _pater_ received his due by
return of post. The president of the society answered:

"DEAR SIR:

"Your son is not at all compelled to join our society. The
subscription of five shillings was decided upon simply to keep our
meetings select."

* * * * *

The Englishman has a supreme contempt for what is cheap. It is in his
nature. He cannot understand that there is any value in what he has not
to pay for.

I cannot forget the time when a young lunatic hanged himself at
Christ's Hospital, and the plethora of letters that were sent to the
papers by parents who seemed to be anxious to seize the opportunity of
trying to bring discredit on that splendidly conducted school, one of
the most interesting philanthropic institutions in England.

A father, sheltering himself behind a pseudonym, went the length of
writing to the _Daily News_ to say that he had had three sons educated
at Christ's Hospital, but that he thanked God he had not any more to
send there.

The Governors of Christ's Hospital spend L60 a year upon each blue-coat
boy. The three sons of this "indignant" father therefore cost the
Hospital something like L2,000.

What respect this man would have felt for the school if the money had
been drawn out of his own pocket in the shape of capitation fees!

* * * * *

The following conversation once took place between a lady and the head
master of a great public school:

"I have a little boy eleven years old," said the lady, "whom my husband
is anxious to have educated here. He is a very clever little fellow. We
have heard that, on leaving the school to go to one of the two great
universities, some boys received exhibitions varying in value from L80
to L100 a year for four years. Do you think, sir, that our son would
get one, for the probability of his obtaining such an exhibition would
be a great inducement to us to trust the boy to your care?"

"Well," replied the head-master, with great command over his
countenance, "I am afraid I cannot commit myself to any such promise."

The lady retired. Her promising son was probably sent to a more
accommodating school.