ts, are to
be found everywhere; but when any little fellow complained to them, they
never failed to punish the bully, and to bring to light any act of
injustice, making the unjust doer right the wronged one. They did their
utmost to put a stop to swearing or to the use of bad language. They at
once and with the exertion of their utmost energy put down all indecent
conversation; and if they found any boy employing it, they held him up
to the reprobation and contempt of their companions. Falsehood of every
description, either black lying or white lying, they exhibited in its
true colours, as they did all dishonest or mean practices; indeed, they
did their very utmost to show the faults and the weak points of what is
too generally looked on as schoolboy morality. The system of fudging
tasks, cribbing lessons, deception of every sort they endeavoured to
overthrow. Some people might suppose that they undertook far more than
they could perform, but this was not the case; all they undertook was to
do their best. They did it, and succeeded even beyond their own
expectations. Of course they at first met with a great deal of
opposition. They knew well that they should do that. Some fellows even
asked them for their authority in acting as they presumed to do.

"Here is our authority," answered Ellis, the colour coming into his
cheeks and his eye flashing. He lifted up a Bible which he held in his
hand. "We are ordered to do all the good we can in this world: we are
doing it by trying to improve the character of the boys in the school.
We are ordered to exert our power and influence to the utmost to do
good: all the power and influence we possess we are exerting for that
purpose. You see we are doing nothing strange; only our duty."

Some few of the boys sneered at Ellis behind his back for what he had
said, but they were the meanest and worst boys in the school. No one
uttered a word before his face; the greater number applauded him, and
wished they could follow his example.

It is impossible to describe the various events which took place at
Grafton Hall during the time Ernest was there. He gained more and more
the good opinion of the Doctor, and of all the masters, and at length
reached, more rapidly than any boy had before done, the head of the
school. He gained this distinction by the employment to the best
advantage of a bright, clear intellect; by steady application to study;
by an anxious wish to do his dut