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cattle ranch。〃 And I would find a bright new lead tiger like a
special creation at large in the world； and demanding a hunting
expedition and much elaborate effort to get him safely housed in the
city menagerie beside the captured dragon crocodile； tamed now； and
his key lost and the heart and spring gone out of him。
And to the various irregular reading of my father I owe the
inestimable blessing of never having a boy's book in my boyhood
except those of Jules Verne。 But my father used to get books for
himself and me from the Bromstead Institute； Fenimore Cooper and
Mayne Reid and illustrated histories； one of the Russo…Turkish war
and one of Napier's expedition to Abyssinia I read from end to end；
Stanley and Livingstone； lives of Wellington； Napoleon and
Garibaldi； and back volumes of PUNCH； from which I derived
conceptions of foreign and domestic politics it has taken years of
adult reflection to correct。 And at home permanently we had Wood's
NATURAL HISTORY； a brand…new illustrated Green's HISTORY OF THE
ENGLISH PEOPLE； Irving's COMPANIONS OF COLUMBUS； a great number of
unbound parts of some geographical work； a VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD I
think it was called； with pictures of foreign places； and Clarke's
NEW TESTAMENT with a map of Palestine； and a variety of other
informing books bought at sales。 There was a Sowerby's BOTANY also；
with thousands of carefully tinted pictures of British plants； and
one or two other important works in the sitting…room。 I was allowed
to turn these over and even lie on the floor with them on Sundays
and other occasions of exceptional cleanliness。
And in the attic I found one day a very old forgotten map after the
fashion of a bird's…eye view； representing the Crimea； that
fascinated me and kept me for hours navigating its waters with a
pin。
2
My father was a lank…limbed man in easy shabby tweed clothes and
with his hands in his trouser pockets。 He was a science teacher；
taking a number of classes at the Bromstead Institute in Kent under
the old Science and Art Department； and 〃visiting〃 various schools；
and our resources were eked out by my mother's income of nearly a
hundred pounds a year； and by his inheritance of a terrace of three
palatial but structurally unsound stucco houses near Bromstead
Station。
They were big clumsy residences in the earliest Victorian style；
interminably high and with deep damp basements and downstairs
coal…cellars and kitchens that suggested an architect
vindictively devoted to the discomfort of the servant class。 If so；
he had overreached himself and defeated his end； for no servant
would stay in them unless for exceptional wages or exceptional
tolerance of inefficiency or exceptional freedom in repartee。 Every
storey in the house was from twelve to fifteen feet high （which
would have been cool and pleasant in a hot climate）； and the stairs
went steeply up； to end at last in attics too inaccessible for
occupation。 The ceilings had vast plaster cornices of classical
design； fragments of which would sometimes fall unexpectedly； and
the wall…papers were bold and gigantic in pattern and much
variegated by damp and ill…mended rents。
As my father was quite unable to let more than one of these houses
at a time； and that for the most part to eccentric and undesirable
tenants； he thought it politic to live in one of the two others； and
devote the rent he received from the let one； when it was let； to
the incessant necessary repairing of all three。 He also did some of
the repairing himself and； smoking a bull…dog pipe the while； which
my mother would not allow him to do in the house； he cultivated
vegetables in a sketchy； unpunctual and not always successful manner
in the unoccupied gardens。 The three houses faced north； and the
back of the one we occupied was covered by a grape…vine that
yielded； I remember； small green grapes for pies in the spring； and
imperfectly ripe black grapes in favourable autumns for the purposes
of dessert。 The grape…vine played an important part in my life； for
my father broke his neck while he was pruning it； when I was
thirteen。
My father was what is called a man of ideas； but they were not
always good ideas。 My grandfather had been a private schoolmaster
and one of the founders of the College of Preceptors； and my father
had assisted him in his school until increasing competition and
diminishing attendance had made it evident that the days of small
private schools kept by unqualified persons were numbered。
Thereupon my father had roused himself and had qualified as a
science teacher under the Science and Art Department； which in these
days had charge of the scientific and artistic education of the mass
of the English population； and had thrown himself into science
teaching and the earning of government grants therefor with great if
transitory zeal and success。
I do not remember anything of my father's earlier and more energetic
time。 I was the child of my parents' middle years； they married
when my father was thirty…five and my mother past forty； and I saw
only the last decadent phase of his educational career。
The Science and Art Department has vanished altogether from the
world； and people are forgetting it now with the utmost readiness
and generosity。 Part of its substance and staff and spirit survive；
more or less completely digested into the Board of Education。
The world does move on； even in its government。 It is wonderful how
many of the clumsy and limited governing bodies of my youth and
early manhood have given place now to more scientific and efficient
machinery。 When I was a boy； Bromstead； which is now a borough； was
ruled by a strange body called a Local Boardit was the Age of
Boardsand I still remember indistinctly my father rejoicing at the
breakfast…table over the liberation of London from the corrupt and
devastating control of a Metropolitan Board of Works。 Then there
were also School Boards； I was already practically in politics
before the London School Board was absorbed by the spreading
tentacles of the London County Council。
It gives a measure of the newness of our modern ideas of the State
to remember that the very beginnings of public education lie within
my father's lifetime； and that many most intelligent and patriotic
people were shocked beyond measure at the State doing anything of
the sort。 When he was born； totally illiterate people who could
neither read a book nor write more than perhaps a clumsy signature；
were to be found everywhere in England； and great masses of the
population were getting no instruction at all。 Only a few schools
flourished upon the patronage of exceptional parents； all over the
country the old endowed grammar schools were to be found sinking and
dwindling； many of them had closed altogether。 In the new great
centres of population multitudes of children were sweated in the
factories； darkly ignorant and wretched and the under…equipped and
under…staffed National and British schools； supported by voluntary
contributions and sectarian rivalries； made an ineffectual fight
against this festering darkness。 It was a condition of affairs
clamouring for remedies； but there was an immense amount of
indifference and prejudice to be overcome before any remedies were
possible。 Perhaps some day some industrious and lucid historian
will disentangle all the muddle of impulses and antagonisms； the
commercialism； utilitarianism； obstinate conservatism； humanitarian
enthusiasm； out of which our present educational organisation arose。
I have long since come to believe it necessary that all new social
institutions should be born in confusion； and that at first they
should present chiefly crude and ridiculous aspects。 The distrust
of government in the Victorian days was far too great； and the
general intelligence far too low； to permit the State to go about
the new business it was taking up in a businesslike way； to train
teachers； build and equip schools； endow pedagogic research； and
provide properly written school…books。 These things it was felt
MUST be provided by individual and local effort； and since it was
manifest that it was individual and local effort that were in
default； it was reluctantly agreed to stimulate them by money
payments。 The State set up a machinery of examination both in
Science and Art and for the elementary schools； and payments； known
technically as grants； were made in accordance with the examination
results attained； to such schools as Providence might see fit to
send into the world。 In this way it was felt the Demand would be
established that would； according to the beliefs of that time；
inevitably ensure the Supply。 An industry of 〃Grant earning〃 was
created； and this would give