ldn't help
that, you know. I'm sure the Doctor must have liked him?" said Tom,
looking up inquiringly.

"The Doctor sees the good in every one, and appreciates it," said the
master, dogmatically; "but I hope East will get a good colonel. He won't
do if he can't respect those above him. How long it took him, even here,
to learn the lesson of obeying."

"Well, I wish I were alongside of him," said Tom. "If I can't be at
Rugby, I want to be at work in the world, and not dawdling away three
years at Oxford."

"What do you mean by 'at work in the world?'" said the master, pausing,
with his lips close to his saucerful of tea, and peering at Tom over it.

"Well, I mean real work; one's profession; whatever one will have really
to do, and make one's living by. I want to be doing some real good,
feeling that I am not only at play in the world," answered Tom, rather
puzzled to find out himself what he really did mean.

"You are mixing up two very different things in your head, I think,
Brown," said the master, putting down the empty saucer, "and you ought
to get clear about them. You talk of 'working to get your living,' and
'doing some real good in the world,' in the same breath. Now, you may be
getting a very good living in a profession, and yet doing no good at all
in the world, but quite the contrary, at the same time. Keep the latter
before you as your only object, and you will be right, whether you make
a living or not; but if you dwell on the other, you'll very likely drop
into mere money-making, and let the world take care of itself for good
or evil. Don't be in a hurry about finding your work in the world for
yourself; you are not old enough to judge for yourself yet, but just
look about you in the place you find yourself in, and try to make things
a little better and honester there. You'll find plenty to keep your hand
in at Oxford, or wherever else you go. And don't be led away to think
this part of the world important, and that unimportant. Every corner of
the world is important. No man knows whether this part or that is most
so, but every man may do some honest work in his own corner." And then
the good man went on to talk wisely to Tom of the sort of work which he
might take up as an undergraduate; and warned him of the prevalent
University sins, and explained to him the many and great differences
between University and School life; till the twilight changed into
darkness, and they heard the truant servants ste