distanced poor me in the race of life! Well, he had a tremendous
start, no doubt. Now, shall I hate him? Shall I pitch into him, rake
up all his errors of youth, tell how stupid he was (though indeed
he was not stupid), and bitterly gloat over the occasion on which
he fell on the ice and tore his inexpressibles in the presence of
a grinning throng? No, my old fellow-student, who hast now doubtless
forgotten my name, though I so well remember yours, though you got
your honours possibly in some measure from the accident of your
birth, you have nobly justified their being given you so early; and
so I look on with interest to your loftier advancement yet, and I
say--God bless you!

I think, if I were an examiner at one of the Universities, that I
should be an extremely popular one. No man should ever be plucked.
Of course it would be very wrong, and, happily, the work is in the
hands of those who are much fitter for it; but, instead of thinking
solely and severely of a man's fitness to pass, I could not help
thinking a great deal of the heartbreak it would be to the poor
fellow and his family if he were turned. It would be ruin to any
magazine to have me for its editor. I should always be printing
all sorts of rubbishing articles, which are at present consigned
to the Balaam-box. I could not bear to grieve and disappoint the
young lady who sends her gushing verses. I should be picturing to
myself the long hours of toil that resulted in the clever lad's
absurd attempt at a review, and all his fluttering hopes and fears
as to whether it was to be accepted or not. No doubt it is by this
mistaken kindness that institutions are damaged and ruined. The
weakness of a sympathetic bishop burdens the Church with a clergy-man
who for many years will be an injury to her; and it would have been
far better even for the poor fellow himself to have been decidedly