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CORRESPONDENCE. Contribution! will bo received at the  Advertiser Offloo, o r   at  Mr. Pepperday’g,  under  coyer  to  the  “ Editor  o f   the M eteor.* H O U SE   F E E L IN G . To the Editor of the Meteor. Sib,—-I am not without  fear  lest  the sub­ ject  of  this  letter  should, after  the  lapse  o f three months,  have lost  its interest;   B ut as 1  see  that  the  question o f  Black  H ats  has snrvived the  holidays, perhapB  this question (which is nearly  as  important)  m ay he, suf­ fered to survive them also. I   read  with  great  interest  the  letters  o f “  Cosmopolitan ”  and  “ Senior ”   on  “  House F e e lin g a n d  your  own article on the same subject.  W ith  the letter o f “ Cosmopolitan ” I   heartily  agree.   H e  upholds,, if  I   u n der, stand him aright,  strong  House  Feeling and strong  School  Feeling,  hut  deprecates  any excess  o f  either  sentiment.   H e  finds  such an excess in the bar which is placed by pub­ lic opinion  upon  intercourse  between  mem­ bers o f different Houses.   Lam  not sure that I   grasp  the  meaning  o f  this  part  o f  his letter, but so far as I  do  so I  differ from him . I  remember the time when a House at R ugby was burnt down, and the members  of it Were dispersed among the remaining Houses o f the School.  And I  remember that public opinion in   our  House  encouraged  rather  than  dis­ countenanced  intim acy with those  strangers who were thrown upon our hospitality. I  hope you w ill  pardon me if  I  venture to think  that  in  the  leading  article  o f  your seventh  number  yon  took a totally different line  from   “  Cosmopolitan.”    I . cannot  find that he anywhere maintains that “ Rugbeiana let House Feeling  sometimes extinguish School Feeling.”    Again,  yon  say  that  yon  saw among  Old  Rugbeians  at  the  Tercentenary “ nothing  o f  that  which  staunch  present Rugbeians  call  House  Feeling.”   A nd  far­ ther  on  yon  say  that  present  Rugbeians ought,  in  everything,  to  imitate  O ld  R ug­ beians.   T our  argument,  therefore,  is  th at TH E    METEOR. 7 among  staunch present  Rugbeians  ought  to be  seen  nothing  of  what  they  call  H ouse Feeling.   B ut  what  says  “  Cosmopolitan  ?” “  The good effects o f the feeling o f the mem­ bers o f  each House for  their  own  more lim ­ ited society, are  beyond  praise.”    H e  seems to me to  stand at the opposite pole from you. W ill you allow me to  make a few remarks on  these  statements  o f  yours ?   Firstly,  as to  the  analogy  which  you  draw  from   the case of  Old  Rugbeians.   I   confess  that  this objection  does  not  seem  to  me  to  possess much  weight.   For,  in  the  first  place,  the mere fact o f  leaving a great  School like  this m ust necessarily affect  the way in which we think o f  it  and  the  light  in  which we look a t it.   In   such  a  case,  House  Feeling,  to a certain  extent, dies a natural  death,  not  b e­ cause it was ever  in  itself  bad,  but  because we have removed  from  the  sphere in which its excellence  and  utility were  m ost  plainly manifested.   This  difference is only the  dif­ ference which may be seen  between the sen­ timents  o f the  Queen  and  of  any  ordinary Englishman  with respect  to  Scotland.   The breadth and largeness o f mind which induces the Queen  to  regard  Scotland  with far less prejudiced  eyes  than  the  ordinary  English farmer,  is precisely the  same  as  that which modifies  the  feeling o f  Old  Rugbeians  with respect  to  their  own  House  and  other H ouses.    Or,  to  make  use  of  a  H om eric sim ile,  it is as with  the  traveller  who,  when he retires from a well-known  landscape,  sees the less  prominent  features o f  it  fade  away in   the  distance  till  nothing  but  the strong outline  is  distinguishable;  in  like  manner the  Old  Rugbeian  gradually loses the  more transitory  part  o f  his  School  Feeling— namely, his love  fbr  his  House— and retains only the more abiding part o f it, his  love for bis School. B ut, in  the  seoond  place, I   do  not think that  this  argument  can  be  used  with  any fairness, for the  simple  reason that in no  in­ stance is the affection o f an old member o f  a Public  School, fbr  his  School, so  strong  as that o f  a present  member.   The  affection  o f the  Old  Rugbeian  undergoes a  change  not only  in  kind  but  also  in  degree.   I  do not see that we need be  ashamed to  confess th is; men would be mortal beings no longer if this were not  the  case.   A t  Oxford  or at  Cam­ bridge,  in the  Indian Arm y,  or  in   the  Bush of Australia, his  old  School can no longer be to a man what  it  has  been  in  bygone days. H e may, indeed, love it passionately, and feel that  he  owes  to  it  more  than  he  can  ever folly  realize;  but  it  is  impossible  that  he should  ever again be swayed,  as he  has  once been swayed, by the  foil  tide  o f  its  life  and thought,— should  ever again know the hopes and fears, the pride  in  its  fame  and the an­ guish  at  its  defeat,  which  stirred  his inmost soul so powerfully a few  years  ago.   This is one o f  those  points  in  respect o f  which the past  is  irrevocably  past;  and  therefore  to build  upon  it  an  argument  against  House Feeling  is,  I   think, an  entire  misapprehen­ sion.  -             ' B ut House  Feeling  (you say  again)  is apt to produce bitterness between  Houses.   Un­ questionably ;  and  School  Feeling  is  apt  to produce  bitterness  between  Schools.   It  is bad that Jones’  house  should  nourish a spite against  Sm ith’s House because they have had two  goals  kicked  against  them ;  but it is at least equally bad that Eton  should nourish a spite against Harrow because they have been beaten  by  six  wickets.   Nothing  in  this world is perfect, and therefore every question resolves  itself  into  a  balance  of  advantages and  disadvantages.   The  question  with  re­ spect  to House Feeling, no less  than  School Feeling, is,  does  the good which  it  produces preponderate over the evil ? T on object  further  that  the  love  for the House  tends  to  stifle  love  for  the  School. This I   emphatically  deny.   I   maintain  that the less necessarily im plies the greatest;  that love for the  House  pre-supposes love for the School;  that the man whose  sympathies are apparently  most  bounded,  is really the  man whose  sympathies  are  widest.   I  never  yet m et a fellow who was  devoted  to his  House 8 THB ME1IBD11. and  who  was  not  also  enthusiastically  en­ am oured'of  his  School.   “ I   never  knew a dutiful  son,”  said  an  eminent  man,  “ who m ade  an  unpatriotic  citizen.”   .  Volum es  of philosophy are  condensed in that remark. W ith   your  correspondent  “  Senior ”  I m ust also quarrel.   H e says  that your lig h t Blue is  your  true  cosmopolitan,  because  his interest in the Eleven  outweighs his interest in  his House.   Is  your  correspondent really in earnest ?   Does he call it cosmopolitanism to sdt the  narrow  clique,  the  narrow  aristo­ cracy to which he belongs,  above  the  House to  which he is bound by the strongest natural tie s?   This  cosmopolitanism  surely  is  like the cosmopolitanism  of  the  Stoics,  who dig­ nified therilselves with the title of the “ W ise,” and  stigmatized  all  the  rest  of  mankind as ‘ ‘ Fools.”    To me  it  always  seemed,  when I was  at Rugby, the peculiar evil of two bodies for which I otherwise felt the highest respect — the  Sixth and the  Eleven— that  the mem­ bers  of  them  were  apt  to  form  habits  of thinking compared with which the most per­ verted  and  most  bigoted  H ouse. feeling  is generous  and  large-m inded;  and  to  cling, through evil report and  good report, to those who happened to wear  the  same  ribbon,  or sit in the same Form  with  themselves.. Tour correspondent “ Senior ”   is an ardent advocate of cosmopolitanism,  but is he also a consistent  advocate ?   If  cosmopolitanism means  anything,  it means  that  natural  divi­ sions  ought  to  be nothing to U s;  that  it  is cur duty to love  Russians as much as A nglo- Saxons ;  to  care  for  France  as  much  as for E ngland;  to be  as  enthusiastic  about  Eton as we are  about  Rugby.   Let  him  give me his reasons for preferring Rugby before Eton, and I  w ill prove that every one of  those rea­ sons would  induce  me  equally to prefer m y House to  Smith’s  House, It has, indeed, always appeared to me that, except  in  the  rare  cases  o f minds  o f  the highest  orddr> cosmopolitanism is  apt  to  de­ generate  on  the. one  hand  into a m ilk-and- water  sentimentalism,  and on the  other  into a   cynical  indinerentism.   I   have  no  doubt that the  latter  is  more  frequently the  case; and  that  men  who’ begin  by  trying  to like everyone equally, generally end by liking n o­ body but  themselves.   That  Roman cosmos politanism produced  some  fine  characters I w ill not deny;  but I  confidently, assert  that its  results,  as  a  whole,, were  far'inferior  to the results of  the narrow-minded  patriotism developed in the  Greek cities.   Julius Caesar represents the type of character which School cosmopolitans would wish to realize:  Pericles represents  the  type o f  character  which  the Honse system produces.  I  know which typo I  should  choose. To  a  cosmopolitan,  nothing,  I   should imagine,  would appear more odious  than the feeling which inspires a Honse match at. foot­ ball.   B at it seems to me that the sentiment which,  theoretically, animates a Sixth match is  incomparably  worse  than  the  feeling which, theoretically, animates a House, match. I  do not mean  that  either is practically bad-; but I  do  mean  that  it  is  the'-height o f in­ justice to abuse the one and extol the other. Something  more I  had to say, but  I   m ust reserve it  for  another  time.   One  remark I would make  before I  conclude.   I f  the  con­ fession w ill  give  any satisfaction to  m y  op­ ponents,  I   confess  that  I   can  neither think nor Write impartially on this subject.  I  have loved  m y Honse  too  passionately to be  able now to  argue  dispassionately upon  the  dis­ advantages  o f  having  loved  it.    A nd  if  I am told that the ideal  state  is never to have loved  it at all,  or  having  loved  it  to  get rid o f  m y  love  as  soon  as  possible,  I   confess, with the deepest hum ility,  that it  is an  ideal to  which  I   have  neither  the power nor the w ill to aspire. I am,  Sir; Ac., T R E B L A . F O O T B A L L . To ihe Editor of the Ifeteor. DBAS S ib,-~I   hope  you  will  allow me  to . say  a few w ords in  answer  to  the letter  o f vourcorrespondent  “  Football”  thatappeaTed in  your hast number.   H is first proposal w ill THE   METEOR, 9 no  doubt generally  be  allowed  to be  a  good  one,   for the  gravel  path by  the  white  gate  on the Barby road  is  a very  awkward  place  to  fall upon,  and there  seems  no reason  why  the   touch-line   should   not   be   carried in   a  curve round the edge o f the path in the same  manner as it  is  round the  edge  o f the  Island  moat and the  Pavilion.    His second proposal,  however,  viz.— “  that  a  fellow be  allowed to  have  his  cap  i f   he  be thought   thoroughly  worth  it,   without  reference  to the  time  he  may   have been   in   the   School” — I   do   con­ sider   both  radical and  revolutionary, as  he  expects.     To  say that  it  would be  very  easy  for   a   new  fellow to   learn   the   rules  is   all  very w ell„in  theory :  it  is   hardly the  same  in practice.    Reading the rules over  three  or  four  times  does but  very  little   g o o d :  they  need   to   be  illustrated   by the   game   itself.  A nd for that matter three or four Below Caps  effect but little ;  the rules are not  sufficiently  drilled into  a new fellow’s  brain by  the  first  few  matches,   and   though  “ Football”   says  that many  new  fellows  with  this  short  ex­ perience  would be  as   well  acquainted  with  the   game   as  some  o f  the   present  “  caps,”   surely   he   would   not  willingly   add to   the  number   o f   those  who   are  out   o f place   on  Big-Side because  o f their  ignorance.    A n e w   fellow,   who m ight   seem   to know  the  rules  and be tolerably at home in  a smaller match,  would not be  the  same man  on  Big-Side and  b y   an  egregious piece  o f off-side play might  spoil   the  most   interesting   struggle  o f  the  afternoon.      I    might   quote   the   case   o f  a  fellow  who   got   his  cap   his  second   football  half and  in his first match on  Big-Side  com­ pletely lost his head  and made  the  most  aw­ ful   mistake   in   the   very   heart o f a   crisis.  A nd yet he  was  far from  slow  at learning the  rules  and   eventually   turned   out   the   best  back-player   o f  his   year.     O f  course   there  are at long   intervals   new   fellows  who   are  perfect  enough for   a cap,  but why  make   a  rule  for these exceptional cases ?    W hat with  wanting  “  straws”    and   “  caps”    their   first  half,  new fellows  must be  getting much more  impatient  o f  their term o f probation than they  were  in the  time  of Tours  faithfully, A   C O N S E R V A T IV E   O LD    RU G . To  the Editor of  the Meteor. Dear  Sir ,— I   should  not have ventured  to  offer  any  remarks  on   the   desirability  o f  a  Football   X X    at  Rugby,  had   not  a  letter,  signed  “ O .R .  at  Oxford,”  expressly invited discussion on the  subject.    A s  it is,  I   should  like to  say  a few words. Y our correspondent begins,  as  it  seems  to  me, by begging the question; he calls the non­ existence o f a Football X X  a  “  defect.”    Nowf  though   I   am  quite  prepared  to  agree with  him in his next  assertion,  that  the  result  of  remedying  a  defect  is  likely to  be beneficial,  I   deny that  this  is  a d efect;  while  I   conceive  that in  calling it  so,  he is  assuming  the very  point which he has to  prove.    Unless, indeed,  the  defect,  which  he   deplores,   is   the   fact  that he  wasn’t himself in a  school X X . However,  let us turn  to his  arguments. Firstly,  To the question, “ W hat are they to  do P”  he answers at once,  “  Oh, play the other  Caps      because   “ it would  equal  in  Cricket  the  X I   playing  the  X X I I .”     I   don’t  know  what it would  equal in  Cricket,  but in Foot­ ball  I   should  say  that  after  a  time  it would  get monstrous.    A nd  I   am sure that  our ex­ perience o f the Football X I  and X X I I   match  is  not  such  as  to  make us  wish for  more  like  it.    A t least, I   know that in m y time, though  the  X I   and   X X I I    thought   it  a   point   o f  honour  to keep  up  the  match   (and,  indeed,  the play o f their backs and half-backs usually  gained  for  them  the  victory),  yet,  in  conse­ quence  o f the  disproportion o f numbers, both  sides were always  heartily glad when  it  was  over.    And  in the  present  case that  disposi­ tion would be still greater. B ut   “ it  would  be  the  means  o f  getting  down twenties  from  Oxford  and  Cambridge,  which,  at  the  same  time,  would not interfere  with the Old Rugbeian.”     A nd yet we know  that  Cambridge  men  are,  with very  few  ex­ ceptions  indeed,  unable  to  come  down  even  for the  Old Rugbeian,  and  a  canvas  among  Oxonians  with  the  view  o f  bringing  them  down  to  play  a  school  X X   this  month,  re­ sulted in the  appearance o f three individuals. Secondly,  he  goes  on  to  say,  “  it will  im­ prove  the  play  on  Big-Side.”      I   doubt  it.  A  man who  wishes to play  well for  his House  must  play  up  on  B ig-side;  and if   a  fellow,  when he has  got his  Cap, proceeds  at once to  “ take   it  easy,”   he  will  find  that  when  he  tries to  do  his  best for  his  Rouse,  that best  will be but a sorry performance.    A nd I  fur­ ther  protest  against  the  notion  that  games  must flag,  if  there isn’t  a  Cap  or  a  Cup  to  be  won in  everything ;  and  I  sincerely hope, for  the  credit o f the  School, that this is not found  to be the  case  at  R ugby now. Thirdly,  “   In the  end it might bring about  a  match  with  some  other   School,  such   as  M arlborough!”   So  it m ight.   W hat then ? 10 TH E    METEOR. A s for  the hackneyed  objection that  “  School  feeling would be  sure to  run high,”   and that  unpleasant  consequences  might  result,  your  correspondent  cannot  entertain  the  thought;  it  is too  degrading.     For  a  Football  match  to  end in  a  “ fight,”   I   quite agree  with him  would  be  degrading;  but  when  it  was  once  suggested    that   the   players    on   Big-Side  should leave  off  their   “  disgusting  hacking”  and    “  fight  it  out  like  men,”   I,  for    one,  thought  that  the  speaker  had mistaken the  spirit o f Rugby  Football;  and the  suggestion  was   certainly   not   accepted.      But   if    the  writer  only   means  by   “  fight”    that   there  might be  a  good  deal o f hacking,  I  feel  quite  sure  that  such would  be the  case,  and  as  for  its  being a  degrading confession, I   do not for  a  moment hesitate  to  make  it.     I f   strangers  wish to play  Football with us they must  con­ form to  our rules.    A t the same time  I  think  it   more   than   probable,   that   in   a   Public  School  match,  the   hacking   would   pass  all  reasonable  or  desirable   limits !    But,  how­ ever  that may  be,  we  should  do  “  something  towards   liberalising   Football.”     Quite   so.  Though what is  meant by  this I   am  at  a loss  to  conceive.    Never mind  ;  it  is  a   glorious  thought,  and it is very  sad  that it  should  be  marred by any fear that  Cricket is  in  danger  “  o f  becoming  Radical.”     For my  own part,  however, if, as he says, “  Football is a strongly  Conservative  game,”   the  more  Conservative  games  we have,  the  better,  say  I,  though  at  the  same  time  I   should  be  inclined  to  think  that  the  reason   why  Cricket  now  encloses  “ all   classes   in   its   ranks,”    while  Football  “ has  not  flourished  as  it  ought,”   is  partly,  perhaps,  owing to  the different  nature  of the  game, and the different kind o f exercise which  it  entails,   and  not   altogether   because   the  latter    is  “  hedged  round  with  all  sorts   of  prejudices.” In  conclusion,  I   beg  to  assure   your  cor­ respondent  that   I   quite  enter  into  his  feel­ ings,  when asked  at  Oxford,   “  W ere  you  in  the  School  Twenty ?”   and unable  to  answer  “  Y es.”     Although,  if  his  remarks  about the  play o f Caps  on  Big-Side  apply to  himself,  it  is,  perhaps,  as  well  that   he  is  able  to  say,  “  There  was  no  such thing in existence.” I   am,  dear  Sir, Your  obedient servant, P SITTA CU S. To  the Editor of the Meteor. Sir ,— In  your  last  impression,   there   are  two  letters,  about  which  I  venture  to  send you   a   few   remarks,    notwithstanding   the  double  amount  o f   abuse   I   shall  bring upon  myself in your next number  by  so  doing. In  the  first  place  then,  “  Principle”   pro­ poses  that the  old  system  o f   notes  o f  excuse  for being absent  from Big-Side  be  renewed.  I   did  not   know  it  had   ever   been  discon­ tinued, but  anyhow  I  think  some  distinction  between  the  old  and  new  caps  being  com ­ pelled  to have notes for absenting themselves,  shpuld be  made. Could  not  a  rule be  introduced,  allowing  caps  of  three  or more years’  standing, to  be  absent   one  Big-Side   a   week  if   they  like.  This  would  not diminish  the  size  o f  a  Big-  Side'very much,  as  the  old caps are generally  too   fond  o f   football  to   absent   themselves  often ;  and  it  would be  giving  them  a privi­ lege,  which the  amount  o f  hard play at foot­ ball they  must necessarily have  gone through  previous  to  obtaining  it,   fully  entitles  them  to,  in m y opinion. In  the  next  place,   I   neither  quite  agree  with   “  Football’s”   proposal  to  allow  a  new  boy  to  get  his  cap  his  first  foot-ball  term,  if   thoroughly worth i t ;  nor with his  suggestion  for an  examination in football  rules previous  to  being  allowed  to  get  one’s  cap.    For it is  not those  who  best  know the  rules  that put  them  best  into  execution,  and  therefore  an  examination  (as  it  only  shows  the  knowlege  and not the  practice,)  would  be useless. I  think  that  a  boy,  previous  to  his  getting  his  cap,  should  be  watched  (as  I   believe  is  the  usual  custom)  by  the  head  o f  his  house  and  others,  to  see  if   he  plays  fairly,  and he  should  not obtain  his  cap  till  he  has  given  full  satisfaction   on  that  point.    Now  there  would not be  time  in  one  half to  see  if  a new  boy plays  fairly,  and  I   therefore  contend  he  should  not  get  his  cap  his  first  football term.  I  presume  it  was  for  this  reason that the  rule  forbidding them to  do so  wAs passed.    I  have  no  doubt,  Sir,  that  I  shall  be  told that  I   am  (on  this  subject) what I   venture  to  sign  my­ self, A L L    A B R O A D . To  the  Editor  o f  the  Meteor. Oxford,  Nov.  8. Sir ,— Permit  me  to  correct  a  slight  mis­ statement in the  last number  o f  the  Meteor, which  says  there  is  no  Rugby football played  at  Oxford.    Allow- me  to  say that it  has just  been  started  at  Wadham  College,  and  that  the  meetings  are,  I believe,  held  on W ednes­ day,  and   each   member   can   introduce  two  strangers to the  game. Ms MME6& ii The opening day was  on  Wednesday,  Oct.  30th,  when  a  very  good  game  was  played,  thongh the  numbers  were rather  small,  and  there was  some  confusion,  owing to many not  having played the rules  before. I  am,  Sir,  yours faithfully, O.  R. To  the Editor of the Meteor. Sie,— W e  troubled  you  several  weeks  ago  with  suggestions  in  reference  to  attendance  at Big-Side.     Little  did  we  then think that  we  should  have  to  apologise  for  so   d oin g ;  but i f  to  miss  goals  is the primary object o f a  Big-Side it  seems  rather  hard  to  make  caps  follow   up,  and   certainly   offers   them   very  little inducement to play  their best. In  proof  o f this  we  beg to  remind you  of  the  unnecessary  length  o f the  Sixth,  and later  still o f the A .  to K . matches.  No  one  can say  that the tries  (P)  in either were few. Yours  truly, T R IO . To  the Editor of the Meteor. Sib.— M ay  I   be  allowed  to  ask  by  what  “  precedent,”   or b y   what   rule  the  X I.  and  X X I I .  Match was broken  off  in the  middle ?  Did  such  happen  by   the  vote  o f  B ig  Side  Levee? Yours  truly, P H IL O R U G B Y . P .S.— W ill the match be  continued or rest  as  it now stands ? [O ur correspondent will  see  that  the match  has   been   continued,  but  we   sympathize  with him in  his  complaint.— Ed.~] HATS. To  the  Editor  o f  the  Meteor. Rugby,  Nov.,  1867. Sie,— Once  more,   with   your  permission.  I  do  think that  the  Hats  are  a  mere  annoy­ ance,  without  any  compensating  good  effects  whatever.      So  m y  “ middle  term ”   is,  after  all,   correct,.  “  Marcellus”    notwithstanding.  H e may demur to  the  truth  o f m y premises,  if   he  pleases;    but  he  cannot  impugn  the  accuracy o f  my  conclusion. Our difference is this.    H e thinks that  the  new  boys  show  a  tendency  to  arrogance,  a  tendency  which  is  even  on the increase;  and  that  slight  discomforts  are  desirable  to  im­ press upon them a due  notion  o f  their  posi­ tion.   I   think that  neither are they, generally  speaking,  at  all  arrogant;  nor  if   they were,  would  such  discomforts  be  anything but the  clumsiest and most ineffectual method o f cure. So  far  on this  particular  question.    But  I  should  like  to  go  a  little  further.    The  tra­ ditional view  o f  new  boys,  (which  is  at the  root  o f “  Marcellus’s”   remarks)  is  one which  seems  to me to be as  groundless  as it is  per­ nicious.    I  had  hoped it was becoming obso­ lete ;  but  “  Marcellus”  reproduces  it with the  authority  o f  an 0 .  R.,  an authority to  which  even   an   undue    weight   may   possibly   be  attached.     In  this  view  the  new  boy  is  re­ garded not  as a person likely to be  timid, and  almost  certain to  be  awkw ard;  not as a per­ son eager to  learn the  ways  o f the place,  and  sure  to  need   and   to   be   grateful  for   any  kindness  or help that  can be  shown h im ;  but  he  is  considered  an  object,   at least o f  suspi­ cion and  criticism,  and  probably for  a  little  “  wholesome”   discipline  also. Sir, this is  essentially a mean v ie w ;  and as  such  I   must  vehemently  protest  against it.  It is  one  o f  the last remnants  o f the spirit o f  bullying,  in an  age  when  bullying  is  every­ where  condemned.     Civilization  has  rid  us  o f very much that  is  brutal;  it  is  time that  an  enlightened  public  opinion  should declare  decisively against what is  left. A s  to  “  Marcellus’s”    illustrative  story,  I   can   scarcely  think  that   he  seriously  relies  much  upon that.    I f   it  is  a single  real inci­ dent,  it  is  irrelevant,  for  isolated  instances  may  occur  at  any  time-    I f   it  is  meant  to  describe what generally happens,  it is  simply  untrue. To  his  “  practical  suggestion”    I   have  no  objection, except the great ugliness o f a  black  straw  ;  but that is  a question  o f taste, and o f  detail.    It would  certainly be a great gain  to  get rid o f   the  Hat.    I f   it  is  thought  conve­ nient  to   have   a   distinctive  colour  for  the  new boys,  I   do not  see why  it should  not be  adopted.    Not  for  “  Marcellus’s”   reason,  o f  course, that they may be  cured  o f their  “  up­ start  f e e l i n g f o r ,   as   I  have  said,  I  believe  neither in  the  disease  nor  in  the  treatment;  but  simply because it is  a natural and  harm­ less  principle,  and  one  already,  to  some  ex­ tent,  recognised,  to  distinguish  by  different  colours the  different   degrees  o f  standing in  the  School. I  am,  Sir,  yours, COSM OPOLITAN. P .S .— M ay  I  remind  “ Marcellus” . that M B     HETEOH. 12 nothing is  gained b y attributing to bis oppo­ nents  an  “  assumption  o f  superiority.’’    I f   anything I  have  said has  really  so  impressed  him,  I   can  only  regret  the  strange  miscon­ ception.    W e think our cause right  and  our  case  strong,  naturally;  and  do  our  best  to  make  others  think  so  too.    But  nothing  is  further  from   our  thoughts  than  to  assume  any  superiority  whatever. T O W N    B O Y S. To  the  Editor  o f  the  Meteor. Sir,—I  am a being who is very well known  byallRugbeians.  A  being notheld in the high­ est esteem, usually, I  am afraid, very much the  contrary.    I   have  some  peculiarities  which  are  special    to  m y   genus— peculiarities   o f  dress,  o f  appearance,  o f  pursuits,  altogether  different from the rest o f the  School.   I f  you,  Sir,  notice  a particularly dirty  and  slovenly  boy, with a battered  hat, rumpled  collar, and  unlaced boots, and a cravat well  greased and  tom ,  who  has  a  natural  affinity for playing  fives  where he  ought not, o f running between  everybody’s  legs,  and,  in  fact,  making  him­ self generally  obnoxious,  you  can  safely  set  this boy down as one o f m y class, that singular  anomaly  o f Rugby  School— a  Town  Lout. Y ou  will,  perhaps, wonder why I   can have  any reason  to  write to  you,  but I,  being the  only one o f m y  confreres  who  can spell, have  been  made the spokesman, who is  to  state the  grievances  o f the worst used and least  appre­ ciated  body  in the  School.    M y  father is  a  cobbler,  and  cannot  afford to pay the  School  subscriptions,  I  am,  therefore,  debarred from  playing   any game   in  the  Close.     I   hear o f  Town Little Sides, &c., but, alas! we who want  something to  do,  to keep us  out  o f  mischief,  are left out.    I  have heard that a high author­ ity  has  taken  our  part,  and  showed  the ab­ surdity  o f  keeping  any  Rugbeian,  and  we,  allow me to state, are the  real Rugbeians, from  enjoying what is  the common property o f the  School,  viz.,  the  Close,— but nothing  has  as  yet happened.     Sir,  cannot you employ your  powerful  pen  in  aiding us,  and  try  and per­ suade the head o f the  “  Town”   to  let  us  take  part in  their  games  ? This  letter has  been  corrected by Mr.  Sale,  our writing  master,  and  I   hope  contains  no  blunders. Signed  on behalf  o f  twenty-three  “  Town  Louts,” M    E N E R G E T IC   C O B B L E R . To  the  Editor  o f  the  Meteor. Dear  M r.  P epperday —I  dont  know who  to rite  my letter to  the  Meteor  to  except you  and  I ’ll  Pay  you part o f  that  Tuppence ha-  penny tomorrow if y o u ’ll  put it in. I ’ve  too  grate  greevances   and  old  Grub  says  I   oughtn’t  to  stand it  any  longer and  you’ll print  anything  that’s  a   shame even if  you’re  quite  small and not  a  Swell. first they won’t allow us  to right anything  on  the  walls  any  more  and they’ve  all got  new  witewhashed and you get lines i f  you do  and it  wasn’t  me  last  Time and I  was  only  going to  Scratcht it  out that I   ain’t a beestly  Bully  and  I  know who has  wrote  it  because  I   only emtied the  Inkpot down his  cholar. A nd then they all laugh  at m y  hat and it  wasn’t too  big at  first but its  got  so  and its  very  hard  lines   as   somebody  like  mesopo-  tamia  said  in  the  Meteor  that I   should have  to ware it at  all and its got most  o f the  Brim  on   except   the  little  square  bit  I   wipe  m y  pens on in m y  pocket.  A nd i f  your had been  sat  on  for  four first Lessons and  all the  B ig  Bullies  in  Mr.  Buckle’s  had  puntabouted it  most  Callingovers  it  would  be  very  knew  now and  I   shall  have  a  straw after  Christ­ mas.    Please tell them not. I  remain, L O W E R   SCH OOL.