Foxholme Hall, and Other TalesKingston, William Henry Giles
General
Foxholme Hall, and Other Tales
Kingston, William Henry Giles
Adventure stories; Boys -- Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction; Children's stories; Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction
Sunday is truly a day of rest at Eton. Reginald found that he was not
expected to get up till nearly nine o'clock. As he was always an early
riser, he was dressed before eight, and set to work systematically to
unpack his clothes and to put them away. Then he sat down to read, and
the book he read every boy will do well to read, not only on Sundays,
but on other days in the week. After he had read a couple of chapters,
he found that he had still some time to spare, so he arranged the books
he had brought on some book-shelves hanging against the wall, and then
Power came in and told him that he must come and breakfast with him.
Prayer bell next rang, and all the boys in the house assembled in the
hall, when, as usual, Mr Lindsay read prayers.
Reginald was much surprised to find so many big fellows either in the
sixth form, or in the upper Middle-Fifth--from fifteen years old up to
nineteen and even twenty--in every respect full-grown men. As he looked
at them he thought to himself, "I suppose that I shall have to be fag to
some of those big fellows--clean their boots, and brush their clothes.
Well, patience; many a better fellow than I am has done the same thing,
and not been the worse for it. Whoever fags me shall not have to
complain that I am in a sulky pet--that I'm determined." Prayers over,
they all hurried to breakfast.
Reginald accompanied Power to his room, where three or four other
fellows were assembled. He was scarcely prepared for the capital repast
he found spread. There were a couple of cold chickens and a tongue,
some potted meat or other, and his well-known acquaintance, a pot of
orange marmalade, one of strawberry jam, and some honey. There were
both tea and coffee, a good allowance of butter (there is a regular
quantity served out), and a large pile of hot rolls,--three, he found,
being served every day to each boy.
Breakfast occupied nearly an hour, and very pleasant Reginald found it.
He then had to get ready for morning chapel at eleven.
"I am glad to see that you have brought a couple of good hats," observed
Power. "I was afraid that you might have thought that you could go
about Osberton fashion in a cap or tarpaulin. We here, you see, never
wear anything but black hats, except with cricketing and boating
dresses. Remind me to have a look at your other things to see that they
are all right. It's as well to be particular. If you are, you'll take
a good standing at once in the school among the fellows: better by half
be a dandy than a sloven or a muff."
On their way to chapel Reginald was accosted continually as on the day
before by fellows asking his name and all sorts of questions, but he had
a ready and a good-natured answer for all.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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