They had been left too much to themselves, and were weak in
esprit de corps; they were apt to regard home, not school, as the
most important thing in their lives. Moreover, they got out of
their parents' hands; they did their preparation any time and
some times anyhow. They shirked games, they were out at all
hours, they ate what they should not, they smoked, they bicycled
on the asphalt. Now all was over. Like boarders, they were to be
in at 7:15 P.M., and were not allowed out after unless with a
written order from their parent or guardian; they, too, must work
at fixed hours in the evening, and before breakfast next morning
from 7 to 8. Games were compulsory. They must not go to parties
in term time. They must keep to bounds. Of course the reform was
not complete. It was impossible to control the dieting, though,
on a printed circular, day-parents were implored to provide
simple food. And it is also believed that some mothers disobeyed
the rule about preparation, and allowed their sons to do all the
work over-night and have a longer sleep in the morning. But the
gulf between day-boys and boarders was considerably lessened, and
grew still narrower when the day-boys too were organized into a
House with house-master and colours of their own. "Through the
House," said Mr. Pembroke, "one learns patriotism for the school,
just as through the school one learns patriotism for the country.
Our only course, therefore, is to organize the day-boys into a
House." The headmaster agreed, as he often did, and the new
community was formed. Mr. Pembroke, to avoid the tongues of
malice, had refused the post of house-master for himself, saying
to Mr. Jackson, who taught the sixth, "You keep too much in the
background. Here is a chance for you." But this was a failure.
Mr. Jackson, a scholar and a student, neither felt nor conveyed
any enthusiasm, and when confronted with his House, would say,