JOHN'S GOVERNOR VISITS DAME EUROPA'S SCHOOL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VI, Issue 98, 27 April 1871, Page 2

JOHN'S GOVERNOR VISITS DAME EUROPA'S SCHOOL.

o IV. — ; THE SCHOOL INSPECTION. Betimes next morning the school was astir with expectation. The boys knew there must be something up, for they had hardly seen the Dame since she went out with the visiting-card in her hand. She appeared at supper-time, but looked glum, aud said nothing. There was little time for speculating ; for, as soon as morning school assembled, ordinary work was suspended, and then the matter began to explain itself. , . Punctual to his time, Magnus arrived at the school, was ushered in with some little ceremony, of which he seemed impatient, and took a seat by the old lady's desk. He had first thought of making a little opening speech, but gave it up at once on looking round the school. The various faces turned upon him suggested there was plenty to be done besides speechmaking — a pastime he got heartily tired of, as practised by his own Parlemen (aires at home. So he opened the business in a few frank, good-tempered words : " Boys of the Europa School, I need not tell you — for you might be sure of it — how many people have been offended and distressed at the fight that has caused so much noise and damage here lately. I never heard of such a one before. From morning to night, and day after day, it has been going on, as if it was never to come to an end. The scandal — yes, you may well look disgusted, Louis and William, both of you — I say, the scandal is intolerable. I warned you, so did other friends too, what it would come to. To you, Louis, especially, I sent word by John to retract your angry word, and keep your hands quiet : you just growled out, 'It is too late, ' and marched off. Now, having got in a helpless mess, you scream out, * Can't you come and help a fellow, John ?' I have been very sorry to find — excuse me, madam — our worthy Dame here has taken up with tbe same cry. She thinks that John ought to have gone in and helped, and hit out right and left to make William give it up. She said so before the whole school the other day, and even said (that was the worst of it) that John kept back for fear he should get knocked about, and tear his clothes, and be saddled with all kinds of expense. Now it is my business to tell you— L have come on purpose — that John troubled himself with no such thoughts. I really scorn to defend him on that point. . If you don't understand him,; or believe in him, from, what he has proved himself many a time before, < you had better read the school annals, and inform yourselves. What you might not know, perpaps, and the thing I came to tell you, is just this : that John kept to the orders « l gave him ; and I am ' glad that he let nothing tempt him to, go beyond them. All the world knows there is no mistake about his fighting) under orders he is bound to respect} but without them he, .has, no business to move. He has been a little too ready at times, perhaps, to go in for it.; but it must not be, now, till there is a right and good reason why, proved au'd sanctioned. Now, Louis, let's hear ..a wmA. about it, man ; why didn't you •• take the 1 advice Isent you ?" ! ' '-' J "Because," .sadd. the boy. . gloomily, " others advisee! nie differently. They told me I ought to so in^t William ; and they said Lsb'Quld'b'e sure to win." , do- you mean: by ( they ;?,'•. T " Oh, the fellows of my division. Besides, I thought the Governor rather liked it top.", . : „,,,. Mangiis'smilecl " Your Governor ! it is the first time I have 'beard of him from yp.u'. | Boor }mau j!~ ? ! hardly eyerkuew him ab te to get in a word edgewise ." A' good deal has D^maa-id in^h^s name^T know, by all kinds of people, especially sinca 1 780 l; < but'i ' ptoT .' foal 1 ieu d > haW M ' Binal l chance of speaking freely for himself. I

am not without misgiving, Louis, that you have rather sat upou hira at times." " Well, it is very hard to say I was to blame for it all." " I tell you what, my boy —a wise man would think twice before he pretended to settle who was to blame for it all. We should have to go a long way back. Bygone monitors of your French division have left many old sores : some of these very Rhine parts would have an ugly tale to tell, if they could speak. The quarrel between your division and William's has been brewing up for a long time, I fear. " " Yes," broke in William, " indeed it has. You let him off too easy, sir. What about all the outrageous things that other Nap did before our time ? They came to a pass, that all the school cried shame on him. Old Gallicus has never kept his fellows here in order !" "Don't be too hasty William," said the Squire, rather offended. " You have not got altogether as clean a book as should be. Few of us have. There are some pages in mine I don't feel comfortable in looking over. You have been a little too free with your fist here and there lately, to. my mind ; bullying small boys, some people call it. Look at home, and keep a sharp eye upon your friend Mark's advice ; it will be worth your while, I promise you.' For your part in this present business, my old neighbour Germanicus gives you his sanction, I know ; and what he backs you in doing, is no business of mine at presejat. I shall be glad to hear you are bojtf willing to think better of it." * i "He won't, sir —he won't indeed," cried Louis ; and, many of his boys joined in chorus, throwing their arms about energetically. "No," said the old Dame, unable to hold her tongue any longer ; " I am sure he won't. He will feel too 'thankful for his wonderful successes,' to stop from pushing them as far as he can." The bitter remark told directly. "To be sure he will," chimed in some boys of cynical look ; "he will have one of his favourite hymns sung, and then lay about him faster and fiercer than ever." Magnus took a long breath in huge disdain. " Upon my word," he said, " this is tho worst I have met with yet. I have heard of it, but hardly believed it. And is this," turning to Europa, " the sort of tone you encourage in the boys of your school ?" "1 do detest profession and cant," protested the Dame, magnificently. "Not more than^ I do, madam,"

thundered. Magnus, "when the profession and c'afat are known and proved. But when people prove nothing of the. sort, ''and just call names, and sneer at what, for.:, all ,t,hay kupjy, is. good and .. true as "gold, I confess I think theirs is the meanest cant of all !" : "But he jumbles up his battles and •hymns' together,". carped out an ill-natured Voice. „ '." And what of that, sir?" said Magnus, .rising from his chair, and looking hard at Louis and the rest. " Which of you have •'not" 'done* the same thing when it suited! you ? Many a day you have gone and! joined in a Te D'eum, when you were uppermost, after a successful round in one of your 1 fights: And you would, have done it often now if you had got the occasion., It isn't for you to blame another for what, you do yourselves. What difference does : it make, I should like to know, whether you had a TeDeum on your side, or whether William let his people sing 'Nundanketalle Gott'?" -' This home-thrust seemed rather difficult to parry. So, while there was an awkward silence, and some of the boys, who are always ready to join in what they fancy a telling cry, looked a little confused and ashiaroecl, Magnus went on — for he felt keenly about this, and was not, sorry to let Dame Europa have a bit more of his mind about it too. • " Now hark you, boys ; weigh an old . man's advice, who has oftenVhad too good reason to feel what he says. To hound on • a. cry of. any kind is always mischievous enough ; but a so-called religious cry— a cry about religion, I mean — is sure to be the worst and most mischievous of all. : *]?hat pale wily-faced boy Pius, and his brother monitors before him — I only wished they had always provSd as pious in deed as Pius iv name— they and their friends, and their bitterest opponents, have often raised that cry before, and almost torn the school, to pieces with its work. I was sorry to hear of its being "dragged into this unhappy quarrel ; and am sorry you should do anything to help it on. And you don't stand alone ; you are joined in it gladly by those you should be ashamed to have any part with — the sworn foes of all good, and all religion together. Let this be the last we hear of it among you. A fellow's religion is what you can seldom really know ; and unless you: do it, for certain, don't say a word about it. It never was brought into any quarrel yet without making matters a thousand times worse." " Well, well," persisted Europa— for the testy old Dame was bitten with this feeling against John and William — "I don't like this sort of boy going about, as they say, with his Testament in his - pocket ; it looks very much like wanting to make a show." ■ "Are you sure he carries it there, ma'am ? Or is it only a boy's phrase of contempt ?" , r "I suppose the boys wouldn't say so unless they had seen him bring it out." , " And ; why shouldn't he, I should be glad to know ? Why shouldn't he at least let them see that he remembers and respects, it ? I suppose a fighting fellow need be none the worse for honouring his Testament as well as his soldierly, duty ? The- 'hoblest fellows that ever- fought for me were 1 not ashamed of it — fellows who ■ will never be forgotten 'While such names as Cawnpore, Lueknow, or Sebastopol are remembered.' : I 'should be glad' to think there wer£ ' hundreds like them. No show, 'ho 'affectation, 'mind; 1 but : where there is a sound hearty feeling, why, in 'the Thame of common-sense, should it be hidden away ?"•"' " One can't help being; afraid of the humbug of it," said' the Dame, apologetically. (Hear, hear! from a few of the boys. behind)., _ ' jt- ■■ "Don't you think," returned Magnus, i sharply, " there may be a good many kinds of humbug, madam ? Now I think th.a.t : Bneerers, and jeerors, and a whole tribe of smair fault-finders, are often the most thorough humbugs in their way. Bali? of^t'h'em don't know wh*at they are ridiculing;; the other half don't ''believe in their own ridicule. And if a fellow i does "lhatj-^if he ; calls names because others ido it ~ if, he joins in i a laugh because it is going round — if he throws small chaff at conduct he. knows ,he ought to respect,— -to my hand he is the real sneak, and deserves i itp have "Humbug": chalked upon his back before - the whole school. ; Tf yott ; don't" teach our boys "to you'll; Jose your; faMorite prdslige&sa Mistress, and' you'll* r*e pent -jiioni; mistake . asllohgi as" you live.?' \ The Dame seemed -much disconcerted, vbut.'did inot sati the Lmomejit reply^ So ; Magnus turned again to the school; and! went -&n r " Don't you r 'make this mistake, j . myj^ds, j, v lt.7i6 ;,a natural; one, certainly, an^;.bard „'toi 'oyer, ffi/usedj to, ( ,be common in all the -schools, I know. It is ; difficult to^stand, j agamst. J : Ap , jEngiish j boy ( e_p_Qi&l\^ : j^flptd,, almost rather be; QatigH ' mU^m^St titan be ' cartel .upon Hie knees, or with a Testament in his i

hand. The real manly fellow is he that will .bear up against it when needs be. And I can tell you that to face it, simply and honestly, requires more real heartcourage than even to have made that dash up the heights. of Spicheren ! Face it yourselves, and ., .don't, misconstrue others who do. Never fear to 1 show a : plain example, or. to seem openly what you are." The Squire now began to think his offrhand sort of inspection had lasted long enough.' He had seen aud heard a good deal more than he liked, and given his mind pretty freely, about it. Whether he had dote much good or not he was unable to tell; that did not trouble his head. He had righted his boy before the school in the matter of Dame Europa's lecture, and that was the main thing that had brought him there. He asked for a half holiday to brush away the cobwebs of the morning's business; and. just kept a parting word for the Dame's private ear, as they walked away through the playinggrounds. "I trust, madam, you quite understand about John's part in this vexatious business. lam very sorry to differ from any opinion of yours ; .but this touches' me closely, and I must rule it my own way. If he had been urged on to do as you said, there is no knowing what would have happened with my other neighbors, and you might have had the whole school in a blaze." The Dame looked very demure. "I daresay sir , I may seem very old-fashioned ; but " " I cannot listen to any ' but ' on the subject. The long and the 1 , shorft of, it comes to this ; John must be allow-ed to carvy out my wishes, or else I must take him- away, and do what I can to get the Europa School put under different management.". This was a turn of affairs the Dame was not quite prepared for. She looked confused aud distressed. But Magnus did not mean to be hard ; he only spoke like a man who was in earnest, and who knew what he was talking about. At length she mustered up firmness to say,: "But this does not rest with you alone, Sir Magnus. What will other heads of families say whose boys come here ? They must be consulted, I presume ?" '• Of course, madam, of course. I have only been speaking now for my own part, and about, the particular point between yourself and John. How the whole matter is to end, it will be hard to say. I could not pretend to settle that. All our heads of houses must confer together, as they haye 1 done before now; and agree how to bring affairs to an issue. And. the sooner the better; though there are troubles in the way. Our old friend, Gallicus, must.be gdt at somehow ; and be ungagged, and free to . deliver his mind. Germanicus^is ready euough I believe ; he has been getting into order throughout his household, and perhaps has his speech ready. Italicus, too, ought to come, as soon as he can settle matters with that troublesome boy, Pius, wb/>, puny as he is, has always tried to have a finger in all things. And there is old Austria's shaky household, that gives poor Joseph many an anxious time of it. And, though last, not least, we must hear .from the ancient Muscoviensis, if he can stir himself up to speak ; though he. has let Alick do just what he likes so long, that" I, don't see clearly, how he is going to get into motion. But we must hope for the best. I don't despair ;. do you try to keep the boys to the plain work and duty before. tlie.m, and the knotty business that puzzles us all now, may come to be settled in another time . and . another • place. ; That crafty Louis has often .said,. L'empire e'est la Paix ; ' I hope a stronger Hand will soon rule^— - 'L'Eurppeji e'est la Paix ' ' "