His home was at a smart modern villa, much smaller, much brighter-looking than the Knoll, and commanding from its windows all the gaiety which the high-road could afford; for there, no overgrown hedges or shadowing trees intercepted the view. Mrs Hythe, a lady of middle age, was seated at work in a parlour commanding the aforesaid road; and to her the gentleman at once repaired. 'Well,' he began at once, 'I have had it out with him.' 'Indeed!' exclaimed his wife. And what does he say? Does he' "Oh! there is nothing fresh,' returned Mr Hythe. The only satisfaction I have gained is to know that all is settled against us. I call it against us; of course he does not.' "What! all that nonsense about trustees and so on?' inquired the lady. 'Exactly,' said her husband. It is all settled now; the lawyers have done everything. His property will remain in the hands of trustees for twenty years-all except that paltry sum in the funds; then, if no one appears in that time, it will go half to us or our heirs, and half to that precious hospital.' "Twenty years!' echoed his wife. "What good will it be to us in twenty years?' 'Not a fraction,' said Hythe; and there will be no raising money upon it; for although there may be a possibility of these shadows and dreams turning to realities, yet who would lend money on such a remote contingency?' 'He is mad; he ought to be put in an asylum!' exclaimed Mrs Hythe angrily. 'Of course he ought,' assented her husband; 'and I can't think where the common-sense of his doctor has been--to say nothing of his conscience and the duty he owes to society-that he has not had him declared out of his mind, and put where he would be taken care of, long ago.' Mr Hythe's tone and air as he said this were sufficiently decided to show that his conscience at anyrate would certainly have counselled the taking care' of his brother after this fashion. He could not bear to sit quietly down under the disturbing influence of these thoughts, but announced his determination of taking a stroll into the town; and in pursuance of this resolve, set out, after a few minutes' further conversation with his wife. Myrtle Villa, the name of Mr Ignatius Hythe's residence, was not farther from the town than was Elms Knoll; the Knoll facing a cross-road, while the Villa, as intimated, looked upon the great London highway; so that Mr Hythe was not long in reaching the entrance to Fieldenham. Although the sun had disappeared, the light out in the open country was still clear; but in the town, under the shade of the buildings in the long High Street, the dullness of twilight prevailed, and in nearly all the shops the gaslights were burning. Some idea of business was possibly attached to this evening stroll, for he knocked at one of the smartest yet most substantial houses in the street, the door of which bore a large brass plate, on which was inscribed BRAFF and MARDLE, Solicitors. In answer to his inquiry, however, it appeared that Mr Mardle was not within. 'It does not greatly matter,' muttered Hythe, as he turned away; "he could not have helped me; nor could he have told me anything I do not know.' He was so absorbed in his reflections, that he was rather surprised to find himself standing opposite to the King's Arms Hotel and Postinghouse-its old title, which had descended from a past generation, but was now, as regarded the Posting-house, little better than a myth and a fable. In addition to this, the establishment held the Assembly Rooms also; and Mr Hythe had unconsciously halted in front of two large bills, which, affixed to boards that leaned on each side of the doorway, announced that some performance would be held there that evening. He found that Professor Alberto Regaldini, assisted by Mademoiselle Lucile la Petite Tuscano-he smiled as he read these incongruous names-would give his refined entertainment from the Royal Scientific Gallery, London, and as performed with triumphant success in all the chief cities and towns of the British Empire; introducing, the bill went on to say, the celebrated Monologue, in which Professor Regaldini would sustain six separate characters, with appropriate songs; and concluding with a grand ballet, supported by the before-mentioned Mademoiselle Lucile and Professor Alberto. There was a great deal of this; the changes were rung on the names in every possible way; but it was clear enough that there were no other performers, unless we reckon the celebrated pianist Herr von Joinville as one of the Company. Beyond these three at anyrate, no other names appeared. Moved by a sudden impulse, which, to judge from the cynical smile accompanying it, was hardly complimentary to the expected entertainment, Hythe entered the portal. He went along the silent and empty lobby until he reached what was evidently the pay-place; but no one sat at the receipt of custom, till, while he hesitated what to do, a young man appeared from the adjoining bar, evidently attracted by the sound of footsteps; so Mr Hythe judged from observing that he passed the back of his hand quickly over his lips, on seeing the stranger. I will take a ticket for this entertainment,' said Hythe. 'It has commenced, I presume?' 'Just this minit, sir,' said the young man. He knew it had been in action for half an hour, but, as he afterwards observed to his friend, he wasn't going to crab the business.' 'Reserved-stallsor area, sir? Reserved is two shillings-stalls, one shilling area, sixpence, sir. No half-price.' 'If there is room in the reserved, I will take one of them,' said Hythe. "O yes, sir; you will find room there.Thank ye, sir,' continued the young man, as he handed a yellow ticket marked 503, which, from its worn and limp condition, had evidently done duty many a night before. Mr Hythe passed through the green baizecovered door, and found himself in the Assembly Room. It was a large dull-looking place, with walls divided into old-fashioned panellings; a number of Windsor chairs and forms; a raised platform at the further end. The room would have seated between three and four hundred persons comfortably, and there were some seventeen or eighteen present. No one at all in the Journal reserved seats; the hotel proprietor's children in the stalls townspeople in the area. Professor Regaldini was bowing and leaving the stage as Mr Hythe entered; having just concluded his Mysterious Marvels of Modern Magic, as performed before the Court and Aristocracy for the Professor was a conjurer also and then the pianist struck up the entr'acte music. Hythe was able to tell that the haggard-looking man at the pianoforte was no common player; and he listened, with more interest than he had anticipated, to a piece which must have been caviare to the multitude. Then Professor Regaldini came on for his celebrated Monologue Impersonations, and was in succession a Yorkshire farmer, a bonnie fishwife, a swell of the period, a Highlander, Paddy from Cork, and Mr Pickwick, spectacles and all. No doubt it was all very clever, but dreary; so horribly dreary, and so suggestive of something seen a hundred times before, that the scanty audience could not be roused to enthusiasm by the performance. Then came duets in character and out of character, by Mademoiselle Lucile and the Professor; and then the Grand Ballet, which would have been more miserable and depressing than anything that had gone before it, but for the wonderful grace and beauty of the child. She was only some twelve years old. The feeble, awkward dancing of her toilworn coadjutor; the wretched attempts at scenery or decoration; the empty room, with its hollow echoes-all were forgotten, or rendered of no account, by the extraordinary accomplishments of the girl, and Hythe found himself watching the dance with interest to the last. He would have remained to the last, had this performance been even more tedious than all which had preceded it, as an idea had formed and developed in his mind, while watching the earlier portion of the 'entertainment.' received does not justify us in repeating the show. We shall not give the entertainment again.' The Professor was a tall, hungry-looking man, narrow-chested, and stooping, without a trace of any nationality about him save the English, and London English too. A certain asthmatic shortness of breath, which made itself apparent every other minute, showed what a trial his work of that evening had involved. The other members of the Company were standing around, dejected enough, yet with a certain expectant curiosity, as though hoping something might come out of this unlooked-for discussion. 'Well, it is not to the credit of the town to neglect such a performance as yours,' continued Hythe; and for our reputation, I think something ought to be done to support you. If you are not engaged, I would ask the pleasure of your company at supper here, with, of course, Mademoiselle and Herr von Joinville.-Mr Bartell '— addressing the proprietor of the hotel-you can give us a tolerable supper at once, no doubt?' 'Oh, certainly, sir!' exclaimed the landlord, who was no stranger to Mr Hythe, and knew by repute the wealth of his brother. 'In ten minutes, if you please, sir.' Then let us have the best you can put on in that time,' said Hythe. 'I leave all to you. Your champagne I know already is good.' A flush lit up the haggard faces of the two men at this mention of a wine which showed the character of the expected feast; and being invited by the landlord to adjourn to the 'small club-room,' the party followed him at once, due provision being made for the regalement of the assistant elsewhere. On their way, the Professor stole an instant to whisper to the pianist: "This is capital, isn't it? But I wonder what he means by it?' CONVICT SCHOOLS. The scanty audience filtered slowly from the hall; the gas was turned down; the Company'— which, all told, consisted of the two performers, the musician, and the young man who had taken Ir was the opinion of Sydney Smith that educaMr Hythe's money-began folding up 'properties' and clearing off their miserable bits of scenery, c. All this time Mr Hythe was standing in the darkest corner of the room, unnoticed, or perhaps supposed to be connected with the house; but when the last article had been put aside, and the little group stood in the centre of the platform, counting over the few shillings which evidently constituted the takings of the evening while the burly proprietor of the hotel eyed them curiously from a little distance-all looked up with a start as Mr Hythe came forward; and he thought the scared expression on their faces indicated a dread that the stranger might be about to make some demand for money. The entertainment is over,' began Professor Regaldini. I beg your pardon,' he continued, altering his tone; I believe I saw you in the reserved tion-mere book-learning-should not form part of a convict's training. Lord Norton, at a Social Science Congress some few years ago, expressed a similar opinion. That convict schools as at present conducted are failures, is the opinion of many men more practically acquainted with the schools in question than either Sydney Smith or Lord Norton. seats?' 'Yes, replied Hythe; I had the pleasure of seeing the entertainment this evening. I see it is announced for two nights only. Your stay in the town will not be longer, I suppose?' "Yes, sir; it is announced for two nights,' said the Professor in a lugubrious tone, and with a glance at the proprietor. 'But the patronage To be Convict prisons and their doings generally are mysteries to the greater part of the outside world. The old-world idea, that cruelties innumerable are being perpetrated daily on the unfortunate inmates, has not yet been exploded. more correct, to a large proportion of the inmates, convict prisons are sanatoria where they may recruit their bodily strength, and school their already profound criminal knowledge for further and more extensive depredations on society. A very small proportion, indeed, find a convict prison a worse home than the rooftree they have left. Surely there is evidence of this in the fact, that a very large percentage return the second, third, fourth, and even fifth time, to enjoy its immunity from anxiety and the general troubles incident to an honest life. But all this will be found set out fully in Five Years Penal Servitude, a book which contains much truth on the subject. A convict on admission to prison is examined by the senior schoolmaster, in order somewhat to test his ability; and is placed in one of four classes, three of which attend school, while the fourth-about two-thirds of the whole admissions are excluded, and never, under any pretence but that of letter-writing, are allowed to be present during school-time. This last class includes men of various educational attainments, from those who have received a university education, down to those who are just able to write a letter legibly and pretty correctly as to orthography, to read, say, an ordinary magazine article, and to work arithmetic up to and including weights and measures. When any man of the three school classes arrives at the above educational standard, he is consigned to the non-attending class. These last are allowed, and largely avail themselves of the privilege of having advanced educational works in their cells, including popular and technical educators, text-books of the sciences, dictionaries, &c. Many, during the hours they have to spare, learn a language, or even two, as well as these can be learned without a teacher. Shorthand is a favourite subject, and one which I am afraid is acquired in most instances for doubtful purposes. Those who attend school are taught in much the same way as are similar classes in an ordinary National or Board school. collecting material, &c. It is during these hur- The question will naturally arise: What are the schoolmasters doing the rest of the day? of prison library, registration of prisoners' correWell, everything but teaching-superintendence spondence, and a host of other duties very right and proper in themselves, but quite foreign to what is generally considered a schoolmaster's work. Taking the week round, his duties average about five hours per day, or equivalent to the time given by a teacher in a Board school, and four out of the five hours are given to extraneous work. It is the opinion of many persons practically individual or 'cellular' teaching, as pursued at acquainted with the teaching of convicts, that Pentonville and Millbank 6 on the separate' system, is the method best adapted to the teaching of such men. There is a shyness, almost unknown to most children, to be found among At this point may be described the kind of even the worst of men, which prevents them men employed by the Civil Service Commissioners showing their ignorance; there is a reluctance to begin at the bottom rung of the educational as schoolmasters. Originally, there were various ladder, and thus lay a good foundation. Apart methods of admission to the service. Influence from this is the evil arising from intercourse at was everything in many cases, and consequently school, an evil which is not a light one. Close unfit men may still be found among convict supervision will not prevent all the harm. There schoolmasters; but for many years the only are no incentives to work, as in an outside school, channels of admission have been either through and a lazy scholar infects the whole class. examination by the Civil Service Commissioners, proportion of scholars really anxious to improve or the candidate must be in possession of a short time relapse into carelessness, partly from their minds is very small, and these few in a certificate from the Education Department a contact with their lazy comrades, and partly from certificate similar in every respect to, and disgust at the small amount of attention given gained in the same way as that held by Lon- to them by those who should be their teachers. don and provincial Board schoolmasters. In Take the case of a middle-aged man ignorant but fact, the majority of convict masters were anxious to learn, being placed by the side of an originally either National or Board school-equally ignorant but quick youth. The older teachers-men who have passed five years as man is ashamed that the youth should see his pupil-teachers, and two years at a Training College. Now as to the farcical nature of the school. Convict prisons possess all the plant and mechanism of ordinary schools-teachers, scholars, apparatus of all kinds in abundance; but here, for all practical purposes, the matter ends. The teaching done is practically nil, as will be seen from the following facts. The average time allowed each scholar is one hour per week, and out of this hour must be deducted the coming to and returning from school, serving out and The utter ignorance, and the youth almost invariably, as becomes young criminals, pokes fun' at the old man's laborious efforts to form his letters, or to construct words from letters. This brings us to a question which probably has not received the attention from the authorities which it deserves. Many old men-seventy years of age in many instances-who are averse to receiving any instruction, and who, in all human probability, will never leave the prison alive, are yet forced to attend school simply because they have not arrived at the arbitrary educational e standard set up by the authorities of the prison in which they chance to be confined. These men remain at school often for years, setting a bad example to the younger men by their inertness, and taking up, without the least show of progress, the time which could advantageously be given to the younger men. In their particular line, these old men are often much more apt teachers than the schoolmasters, and take a sort of fiendish delight, though one foot is already in the grave, in instructing their younger brethren in the way which makes them criminals all their lives. It is contended by practical men that cellular' or individual, in opposition to class teaching, is the remedy for this state of things. Speaking generally, convict prisons are nurseries of crime and criminals; and nothing pleases the inmates of a prison so much as to see an 'old lag' return to them for a fresh term of penal servitude. It would be obviously unfair to apply to convict-prison schools an educational test similar to that applied to ordinary day-schools; but now that county jails are under government, there is no apparent reason why an inspector should not be appointed to visit, periodically, all prison schools, both county and convict, in order to insure in some degree uniformity of matter and manner. At present, each chaplain has his own idea of the standard at which a prisoner should arrive before being considered in a position to be removed from school. To sum up. Give more time to school; make a more judicious selection of scholars; provide individual teaching; and allow the schoolmasters to give their whole time to teaching. These alterations, with some general official supervision, would, it is believed, produce results somewhat commensurate with the money spent on convict schools. WILL STOUT THE PARISH BEADLE. A CHARACTER. his younger days to work, Sandy had gradually acquired wandering habits, into which he fell the more readily from being slightly weak in intellect. It was a standing tradition among the boys that his hump' was a made-up one; and certainly Sandy knew how to produce effects. On arriving at a village, his first proceeding was to enter some cottage where he saw roses were plentiful, and get the goodwife to fix a garland of themthe reddest being preferred -round his old battered Kilmarnock bonnet, when forth he issued with a kind of boyish exultation, flourishing his stick round his head, and delighting the hearts of the children with the song of Rollingeye: Oh, whaur are ye gaun, my bonnie bonnie lass? With my rolling eye, faul the diddle eye, From the popularity of this song, with its unfail- Another welcome visitor was the 'chapman,' whose little pack, with its many-bladed knives and its tinsel gauds and jewellery, made the boys' teeth water, and the girls' hearts leap with anticipation. His sales were certainly not such as to increase his fortune; but then the pretence of gaining an honest livelihood was an excuse for obtaining meals-for by some strange coincidence the packman invariably made his appearance at meal-times; nor was he in a hurry to depart and push his trade, till he had rehearsed the local news and delighted the youngsters with some marvellous stories. These harmless and more or less welcome char In this quiet, out-of-the-world place, the last acters are every year becoming rarer. As long of the local Scottish worthies' died out with as we had the old beadle, our parish possessed a old Will Stout the parish beadle. We admit character of the genuine old type. The beadle in a the stern necessity of getting rid of able- country parish is an official of no small importbodied beggars and tramps, yet we owe the ance, at least in his own eyes. He has frequently poor-laws and the combination houses a kind of very mixed duties to perform. He is grave-digger, sentimental grudge for having devoured our church-officer, bell-ringer, sometimes minister's gangrels' and wandering minstrels, whose periodic man, gardener and general-worker, or jack-ofvisits were so welcome, especially at farmhouses, all-trades. If he has been long in the office, during the long winter evenings. Their tales he becomes a great authority on all subjects and ballads were a source of never-failing interest of a purely parochial nature. With us Will to the servants and children. It was a red-letter Stout had been beadle for over fifty years, day when the 'auld sodger' came round to spend and while ministers might come and go, Will his evenings in the kitchen, and sleep in some remained, apparently a permanent institution. warm corner of the barn or cow-house. The In personal appearance Will was long, lanky, children stole away from the parlour-where their and ill-shapen. He was generally invested in parents were deep in Boston's Fourfold State, or the minister's cast-off clothes, which hung so vainly puzzling over Jonathan Edwards-in order loosely about him as to give the impression to join the kitchen group, as they listened with that they had been made for Will at a time open mouths to tales of the Peninsular War, when he was of a fuller habit. It was only rehearsed with some embellishment by the 'auld in his later years that we knew him. By that sodger,' as he vigorously flourished his one time, being the older official, he had come to remaining arm to illustrate his deeds of heroism. regard himself as of nearly as great importWe can well remember, too, the pleasure with ance to the parish as the minister himself. which we children welcomed the visits of 'hunch- attendance at this remote parish church had backed' Singing Sandy, a lingering remnant of been less affected by the influence of dissent than the wandering minstrel fraternity. Too lazy in some neighbouring ones, and Will thought that The he was entitled to no small credit for this. A stranger a few years ago remarked on the large attendance at the services, when Will enlightened him as to the cause of this by naïvely observing: 'Weel, sir, ye see that me and the minister have kept them weel together.' While Will generally performed his duties efficiently in his own rough-and-ready kind of way, he had some little weaknesses and peccadillos that the minister and the parishioners as a whole were charitable enough to overlook as frequently as possible. At the time of neighbouring fairs, Will's friends were sometimes known to treat' him beyond what was good for him, in order to hear some of his quaint stories. At such times the minister took care, if possible, not to require his services. One day, however, when on necessary parochial duty, he chanced to meet Will on his way from the fair, earnestly endeavouring to carry himself as straight as possible. The minister felt bound to tender a mild remonstrance. Will had to stand on his defence, and having just parted with a petty laird, he sought to screen himself by assuring the minister that Jeems Tamson was away up the road 'far fouer than me.' We are bound to admit, in fairness to Will, that such excesses were very rare. Will's natural-history tastes were somewhat extensive for his opportunities, and on this account he was a great favourite with the manse boys. He had generally about him one or two pets, such as jackdaws, magpies, and squirrels, besides a miscellaneous collection of birds and four-footed animals, which he had stuffed with his own hands. It was more than shrewdly suspected that Will made the acquaintance of some animals with other objects in view than the study of natural history; and that by the aid of a little wire, where the glebe adjoined the Laird's policies, he had occasionally found the wherewithal to make a savoury stew. And before our rivers were so strictly preserved, the salmon-pools had frequent visits from him by torchlight. The success of such visits was amply attested by the fact that Will was able to regale himself with a piece of 'kippered' salmon when others had to content themselves with more homely fare. He in all probability regarded this as a harmless way of supplementing his somewhat limited income. His salary as beadle was by no means an extravagant one; and one year when there happened to be a general rise of wages, he made an application for the modest increase of one pound. In the heritors' minute-books we find it recorded that it was agreed to grant the increase on condition that Will would give up salmon-poaching. Will remained a bachelor, residing with his old mother, who lived to the age of nearly a hundred years. In mature life he was urged by some of his friends to take a wife. He was very cautious, however, in regard to matrimony, and declined the advice, excusing himself on the ground that there are many things you can say to your mither you couldna say to a fremit [stranger] woman.' While beadle, he had seen four or five different ministers in the parish, and had buried two or three of them. And although his feelings became somewhat blunted regarding the sacredness of graves in general, yet he took a somewhat tender care of the spot where the ministers lay. After his extended experience, he was asked to give his deliberate judgment as to which of them he had liked best. His answer was guarded; he said he did not know, as they were all good men. But being further pressed and asked if he had no preference, after a little thought he again admitted that they were all 'guid men, guid men; but Mr Mathieson's claes fitted me best.' One of the new incumbents, knowing Will's interest in the clothes, thought that at an early stage he would gain his favour by presenting him with a coat. To make him conscious of the kindly service he was doing, the minister informed him that it was almost new. Will took the garment, examined it with a critical eye, and having thoroughly satisfied himself, pronounced it a guid coat, a guid coat,' but pawkily added: "When Mr Watt the auld minister gied me a coat, he gied me breeks as weel.' The new minister, who was fortunately gifted with a sense of humour, could not do less than complete Will's rig-out from top to toe, and so established himself as a permanent favourite with the beadle. Although he was naturally of an amiable and kindly disposition, Will would occasionally show that he could assume a self-defensive attitude. When the minister of the parish was unexpectedly called away from home, an afternoon service conducted by a neighbour-clergyman would sometimes be substituted for the regular service. At such times it was Will's duty to apprise the parishioners of this change of the hour of service for the day. On one of these occasions, somewhat to the chagrin of the minister officiating, a very small number of the parishioners were present. With some irritation he accused the beadle of having failed to make due intimation. Will stoutly maintained that he had faithfully fulfilled his duties, by not only naming the hour of meeting, but also announcing the name of the minister who was to conduct the services. Still unsatisfied, fresh doubts were insinuated regarding the veracity of Will's statement, which being more than Will could endure, he quietly informed the minister that if he would have the true reason of the small attendance, it was that he was not very popular in the parish.' A meal that Will thoroughly relished and was never in living memory known to miss, was his Sunday dinner at the manse. It was a hearty one, and doubtless served to make up for the homely fare of the Saturday previous and the Monday following. It was a dinner given most ungrudgingly by the minister, who regarded Will as part of the Sabbath household. Moreover, he generally had share of whatever had been on the minister's own table. On one occasion, Will had rather the best of the dinner. The minister's family were from home. A modest steak, intended for the minister, had been prepared by the thrifty housekeeper, and was standing ready on the kitchen-table when the beadle arrived. While the servant was making the necessuy arrangements for dinner in the minister's parlour, Will in the interval despatched the steak. When the housewife broke out in indignation, he quietly remarked that he had used it under the inpression that it was the bit bit' prepared for |