A father immediately wrote to the young president of the new society, asking if it was compulsory for his boy to join the society, as he did not see the force of paying five shillings for what, he thought, his boy was entitled to enjoy for nothing. The _pater_ received his due by return of post. The president of the society answered: "DEAR SIR: "Your son is not at all compelled to join our society. The subscription of five shillings was decided upon simply to keep our meetings select." * * * * * The Englishman has a supreme contempt for what is cheap. It is in his nature. He cannot understand that there is any value in what he has not to pay for. I cannot forget the time when a young lunatic hanged himself at Christ's Hospital, and the plethora of letters that were sent to the papers by parents who seemed to be anxious to seize the opportunity of trying to bring discredit on that splendidly conducted school, one of the most interesting philanthropic institutions in England. A father, sheltering himself behind a pseudonym, went the length of writing to the _Daily News_ to say that he had had three sons educated at Christ's Hospital, but that he thanked God he had not any more to send there. The Governors of Christ's Hospital spend £60 a year upon each blue-coat boy. The three sons of this "indignant" father therefore cost the Hospital something like £2,000. What respect this man would have felt for the school if the money had been drawn out of his own pocket in the shape of capitation fees! * * * * * The following conversation once took place between a lady and the head master of a great public school: "I have a little boy eleven years old," said the lady, "whom my husband is anxious to have educated here. He is a very clever little fellow. We have heard that, on leaving the school to go to one of the two great universities, some boys received exhibitions varying in value from £80 to £100 a year for four years. Do you think, sir, that our son would get one, for the probability of his obtaining such an exhibition would be a great inducement to us to trust the boy to your care?" "Well," replied the head-master, with great command over his countenance, "I am afraid I cannot commit myself to any such promise." The lady retired. Her promising son was probably sent to a more accommodating school. * * * * * The same head-master once received the visit of a man who asked him point-blank if the scholarship examinations were conducted honestly, or, in other words, if the scholarships were given according to merit. From the answer he received he deemed it expedient to beat a speedy retreat. * * * * *