“Westward Ho, October 1871.
“Dearest Old Boy,
“Here we are all right, and I wish we had your jolly face at the other end of the table, for we miss you very much. I have begun golf, but there are not many golfers here yet; however, there is one very good player named Oliphant, so I have not much chance of the medal. Your friends the Molesworths are both gone to Radley School, near Oxford. There are only 100 boys there, but it is a nice place, and being near the Thames, they get plenty of rowing; in fact, that is their chief amusement. Ned plays golf with me, but has not got into his play yet. You are a good old boy for writing so often, and I hope you will continue it. Nothing gives us so much pleasure as your letters and Herbert’s, and don’t think that anything that happens to you is too trifling to tell us of. Now about your letter. I always thought that you would find the lessons rather a grind at first: you see it is your first school, and you have had no experience in working with a lot of other boys, perhaps making a row, and idling around you. Never mind. It will get easier every day, and besides, I believe that you have something of the bull-dog about you, and won’t be discouraged by a little hardship and difficulty at first. I hope you will be one of your fifteen, for then I shall come up to see you play, but anyhow I am as certain as I can be of anything that you will be first-rate at football some day, and a first-rate scholar too, I hope. The two things often go together. All well, and send best love. Mamma and Argy hope your shoulder is not much hurt, and I have no doubt it is all right again. God bless you.
“Yours most affectionately,
“G. E. H.
“P.S.—I shall never think anything that you write awful ‘bosh.’”
“Offley, Westward Ho, 1871.
“Dearest Jack,
“Thank you for your letters, which interest us immensely. Boys make the most absurd customs, as you will find out: it is better to give way to their customs in a good-tempered way; new boys are not admitted at once to the full privileges. It does not much matter, as I hope you won’t be long at ——. Boys think it very fine and manly not to prepare their lessons, whereas in fact nothing can be more childish. Take your own way, and never mind them. It is half pretence with them, and they will respect you more if they see you have your own way. You need not stand being ‘sat upon,’ and yet you can be good-tempered and obliging, but, above all, don’t forget what I said to you when we parted. Don’t forget the lessons you have learnt at home (I don’t mean Latin and Greek). God bless you. Write as often as you have time.