Prime Ministers and Some Others: A Book of ReminiscencesRussell, George William Erskine
History
Prime Ministers and Some Others: A Book of Reminiscences
Russell, George William Erskine
Great Britain -- Biography
When, late in the afternoon, we passed Bletchley Station, I bethought
me that we should soon be separated, for the London and North-Western
train, though an express, was to be stopped at Harrow in order to
disgorge its load of returning boys. I began to collect my goods
and to prepare myself for the stop, when my friend said, to my
great joy, "I see you are alighting. I am going on to Euston. I
shall be in London for the next few weeks. I should very much like
to pay a visit to Harrow one day, and see your 'lions.'" This was
exactly what I wished, but had been too modest to suggest; so I
joyfully acceded to his proposal, only venturing to add that, though
we had been travelling together all day, I did not know my friend's
name. He tore a leaf out of a pocket-book, scrawled on it, in a
backward-sloping hand, "H. Aulif," and handed it to me, saying,
"I do not add an address, for I shall be moving about. But I will
write you a line very soon, and fix a day for my visit." Just then
the train stopped at the foot of the Hill, and, as I was fighting
my way through the welter of boys and luggage on the platform,
I caught sight of a smiling face and a waved hand at the window
of the carriage which I had just quitted.
The beginning of a new school-quarter, the crowd of fresh faces,
the greetings of old friends, and a remove into a much more difficult
Form, rather distracted my mind from the incidents of my journey,
to which it was recalled by the receipt of a note from Mr. Aulif,
saying that he would be at Harrow by 2.30 on Saturday afternoon,
the 21st of September. I met him at the station, and found him
even pleasanter than I expected. He extolled Public Schools to
the skies, and was sure that our English virtues were in great
part due to them. Of Harrow he spoke with peculiar admiration as
the School of Sheridan, of Peel, of Palmerston. What was our course
of study? What our system of discipline? What were our amusements?
The last question I was able to answer by showing him both the
end of cricket and the beginning of football, for both were being
played; and, as we mounted the Hill towards the School and the
Spire, he asked me if we had any other amusements. Fives or racquets
he did not seem to count. Did we run races? Had we any gymnastics?
(In those days we had not.) Did we practise rifle-shooting? Every
boy ought to learn to use a rifle. The Volunteer movement was a
national glory. Had we any part in it?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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