The absolute unfitness for any educational work of some Boards led to strange results. Somewhere in Wales I had sent notice to a Board that I proposed to meet them at a certain place on a certain day. They sent no answer, but I kept my own appointment, and found the Board duly assembled. I began by suggesting that it was usual to answer official letters. They declared inteet they did not know where I lived, and how could they send a letter? I pointed out that the official notepaper, upon which I wrote, had the address printed at the top. This embarrassed them: but the true explanation was given to me afterwards. There was not a man on the Board who could read and write, and they had to take all their correspondence to the market-town to get the advice of the Clerk to the Guardians before they could reply. They were in too small a way of educational business to have a clerk of their own. A parallel but more amusing case occurred in England. There was a fierce contention among the members of a Board about the site of the proposed new school, and the knot seemed worthy of the intervention of My Lords. After some correspondence I was sent down with instructions to report. It was arranged that I should meet the Board at the chairman’s house (he was a farmer), and thither I went, and found him alone. And let me here remark, that a Norfolk farmer is not like a farmer in the shires. He might farm from 3,000 to 4,000 acres. He explained the arguments for and against each site, and went on to express his regret that I was not likely to meet some members of the Board. “Where is the Rector?” I asked. “Very ill, and confined to the house.” “I see in the correspondence file that Mr. A. is strongly in favour of the north site. Will he be here?” “Well, I fear not: the fact is that there is an affiliation summons out against him, and, as he is an elder of the ---- chapel, he is rather ashamed to show his face.” “Mr. B., the treasurer, is on the same side?” “Yes, and I expect him here every minute: but, if you will excuse me, I would rather you saw him in the other room: I have had to serve him with a writ for slander in consequence of some remarks he made at the last Board meeting, and we don’t speak.” “Then there is only Mr. C?” “Yes: and he promised to be here. Perhaps you could call at his house on your way to the sites? And here comes the treasurer.” I met the First Lord of the Treasury in the dining-room. “Morning, Mr. B. About that site: here is the ordnance map: you want the school to be built just there, don’t you?” “Well, sir,” said he, “I’m no scholar. But whatever you think right, I am agreeable to.” I bowed him out, and returned to the chairman: “Says he is no scholar, Mr. Chairman?” “What, John B.? No, he can’t read or write.”