A long red brick wall ran across Meads on the west side, in which there was a door that led to “Sick-house,” situated in a field called “Sick-house Meads.” It was presided over by a worthy old matron named “Mother Maskell.” Her kind face is no longer there to soothe the invalid; and I hope, for the sake of the boys, that her successor inherits, with her other good qualities, her receipt for gooseberry fool. How we used to scent it from afar; and the moment a fresh brew was ready, what a rush to Sick-house! How we slid over the gate, which formed no barrier in such a case! There were two kinds, “Husky” and “Non-husky;” the former was decidedly the favourite, and the consumption was really alarming. Notwithstanding this there were few of us ill in those times, and one half of the number “Continent” were generally “Shuffling,” and the other laid-up with wounds received in athletic exercises. One boy, I remember, broke his arm three times in one year; the last time, the Master under whom he was made him write out all the lessons that he would have had to do if he had been in school, suggesting that he had broken his arm on purpose to escape them. Certainly being “Continent” was an agreeable change for a Fag, as he had no lessons to do, and escaped all fagging, except from such Præfects as happened to be Continent also, and he also got a “Thoke” in the morning till nine o’clock. When a boy was really ill he slept at Sick-house. I only remember doing so on one occasion myself, and that was when I caught the measles in the remarkable way above mentioned, (_vide_ p. 127.) This was a very jolly period. I had them very slightly, and there were four of us in a room together—Rasper, Badger, Bumpus, and myself, and I was then, for the first time, initiated in the mysteries of the science of Whist; one of us, who was the least unwell, used to deal and collect the cards, which we threw into the middle of the room as we played. As I mentioned before, when a boy felt ill, or inclined to quit school for a period, he had to get leave Continent,[10] which was done by sending a boy in the morning first to get leave from his tutor, and then from the Head Master; and when he returned to his school duties he was said to “come abroad.” During Long half all the unoccupied rooms in Sick-house were occupied by the senior Præfects as private studies; and each of them chose a boy as a “Reader,” whose nominal office was to read aloud the “English” of any Greek or Latin author his master might be studying. This was a much coveted appointment, as the fortunate possessor was exempt from all fagging. There was another field between Sick-house Meads and Commoners belonging to College, called “Long Meads,” which, to the best of my belief, was only used to feed the Fellows’ cows. This is now thrown into Meads; and if Sick-house Meads could also be added, what a magnificent playground it would make!