A good deal of practice with single stick, foils, and boxing-gloves, went on in school also; I was one day exercising the latter instruments with Pudding, when I received a blow in the throat which made me feel very uncomfortable, and we left off; I got worse and worse, and finally had to apply for leave from school; I then went down to sick house, was rather feverish that evening, and awoke next morning with—the Measles. On “Remedies” from eleven till twelve, and from four till five there was an attempt at keeping order in school, under the presidence of the unfortunate French Master, who, I fear, had rather a warm time of it, in endeavouring, with the assistance of the Bible Clerk and Ostiarius, to maintain anything like a proper command over us. These hours of mitigated study were called “Books Chambers.” [Illustration] [Illustration] CHAPTER X. THE JUNIOR IN MEADS. “Watching out”—Cricket Reminiscences—Lord’s Matches—Turf—Football—Six and Six—Twenty-two and Twenty-two—SS and Trees—Fines—Sick-House—Gooseberry Fool—“Going Continent”—Long Meads—Enlargement of Meads. As I said before, I must confess that as a Junior I did not on the whole look upon a holiday as a peculiar blessing; indeed I used to watch the applicant for a Remedy with much interest, and profound was my secret disgust when it was granted, and ill-concealed my satisfaction if it was refused. My reason for this was the unlimited extent to which “Watching out” at cricket was enforced on us. I believe that this is now altered, the time being limited to one hour on a school-day, and two on a holiday, which amount is healthy for the boys, and very useful, inasmuch as it initiates them into one of the most useful branches of a public-school education—the science of cricket. But it is quite possible to have too much of a good thing. I have been, on a Saint’s-day, (this, however, was an extreme case, and did not occur often,) ordered down to watch out in Meads early in the morning before breakfast, and not allowed to quit the ground, (except to attend chapel,) till dark, the whole time without a hat, often in a broiling sun; at breakfast time and one o’clock one of the Fags would be sent up to bring down food, which we ate on the ground. In order to effect this day’s work, we had (if we could not get leave, and I think only three were allowed) to shirk Hills three times, for each of which we were liable (if discovered, by names being called, as was generally the case) to an imposition. And when the day’s entertainment commenced by a big Præfect, about twenty-two years old, placing a boy about ten paces behind the wickets as Longstop to a fast bowler, pointing significantly to a spare stump stuck in the ground close by, and remarking, with a savage scowl, “Now, you look here, you young ⸺, you see that stump, the first ball you miss I’ll cut you in three pieces—body, soul, and legs,” I think it will be admitted that to that Longstop at