connection with national and religious festivals, and so on. Boys, for
whom such forms of service are provided in their schools, will not want
to carry them on separately.

Boys have a special opportunity of practising self-control in action
when they play games. The boys come from the more formal discipline of
the class-room into conditions in which there is a sudden cessation of
external authority; unless they have learned to replace this with
self-control, we shall see in the play-ground brutality in the stronger
followed by fear in the weaker. The playing fields have a special value
in arousing the power of self-discipline, and if teachers are there who
set the example of submitting to the authority of the captain, of
showing gentleness and honour, and playing for the side rather than for
themselves, they will much help the boys in gaining self-control.

The boys also will see the teacher in a new light; he is no longer
imposing his authority upon them as a teacher, but he is ruling himself
from within and subordinating his own action to the rules of the game,
and to the interests of those who are playing with him. The boy who
enters the field with no other idea than that of enjoying himself as
much as he can, even at the expense of his fellow-students, will learn
from his teacher's example that he is happiest when playing for others,
not for himself alone, and that he plays best when the object of the
game is the honour of the school and not his own advantage. He also
learns that the best player is the boy who practises his strokes
carefully, and uses science to direct strength. Desiring to be a good
player himself, he begins to train his body to do as he wishes, thus
gaining self-control in action; through this self-control he learns the
great lesson, that self-control increases happiness and leads to
success.