ns proving a genuine keenness were asked me when I was taking
HOMER this morning. One boy propounded the doubtful but stimulating notion
that HOMER was really the name of some early Greek Co-operative Stores, and
that the _Iliad_ and _Odyssey_ were parts of a gigantic scheme of
advertisements. This is very illuminative and indicates that a real desire
for efficiency exists in the most unlikely quarters.

_January 23._--An example of the sort of prejudice one has to contend
against occurred to-day. Henderson, one of the House masters, sent across a
note asking what I should wish done in the following case. It appears that
a boy in his House named Montague has by some form of bargaining already
deprived three new boys of their pocket-money for the term. "Montague has
exhibited such an extraordinary commercial aptitude in this matter,"
Henderson wrote, "that I propose to flog him. Before doing so however I
thought I would ask for your assent, as you might prefer to make him a
prefect."

_January 24._--Brown Major, the Captain of Football, has been deputed to
ask me if I could arrange a Jumble Sale match against Giggleswick. Have had
to explain to a boy, Lipscombe, sent up for gambling, that the rule against
this is inviolable, and that I could not accept as an excuse for his
breaking it the fact that he intends, on leaving school, to adopt the
business of a bookmaker. Specialisation at school in all branches of
business is of course impossible.

_January 26._--M. Constantin, the French master, has come to me with a
complaint. Two days ago, for trying to dazzle him during lessons with a
sun-glass, he gave a boy named Dawkins 500 lines. To-day, instead of the
usual Racine, Dawkins handed him lines copied from an advertisement in the
daily press beginning:--"Perhaps you are suddenly becoming stout, or it may
be that you have been putting on weight for years...." As Constantin is
disposed to adiposity, he is convinced that Dawkins meant this for
impertinence. Dawkins, however, has explained to me that he is profoundly
interested in Patent Medicines, the sale of which he hopes to take up as
soon as he has qualified on the Commercial side. Pardoned Dawkins and
accepted M. Constantin's resignation.

_January 27._--I fear the school is taking the Commercial side too
literally--with unforeseen results. To-day there was a regrettable incident
in the tuck-shop, outside the door of which, unknown to Mrs. Harrison, a
placard was nai