were not returned, in spite of the fact that our well-planned and
well-built schools were erected at a lower cost per child than any in
the neighbourhood. I was not sorry to escape from the monotony of
listening to interminable debates as to whether a necessary broom or
such-like trifle should be bought at one shilling or one and
threepence. For this was the kind of subject that the Board could
understand and liked to enlarge upon, while really important proposals
were carried with little consideration. As a matter of fact, members
of a School Board are no more than dummies in the hands of an
inflexible Department, and are appointed to carry out orders and
regulations without the power of modification, even when quite
unsuitable for a country village school.

There was some little excitement at the election; one of the members
of the old Board had been called "an ignoramus," in the stress of
battle, and being much concerned and mystified asked a neighbour what
the term signified, adding, no doubt thinking of a hippopotamus, that
he believed it was some kind of animal! His knowledge of zoology was
probably as limited as that disclosed by the following story:

A menagerie was on view at Evesham, to the great joy of many
juveniles as well as older people, for such exhibitions were
not very common in the town. Very early next morning, a
farmer, living about two miles from Aldington, was awakened
by a shower of small stones on his bedroom window. Looking
out he saw his shepherd in much excitement and alarm. "Oh
master, master, there's a beast with two tails, one in front
and one behind, a-pullin' up the mangolds, and a-eatin' of
'em!" The farmer hurried to the spot and saw an African
elephant which had escaped during the night; he was