|
||||||||
to listen to me, for whats the use of calling me pater, and all that, if you dont mind what I say? And Im going to talk seriously, because I feel so. Its a jolly time, too, getting to the end of the half, and a goal kicked by us first day(tremendous applause)after one of the hardest and fiercest days play I can remember in eight years(frantic shoutings). The School played splendidly, too, I will say, and kept it up to the last. That last charge of theirs would have carried away a house. I never thought to see anything again of old Crab there, except little pieces, when I saw him tumbled over by it(laughter and shouting, and great slapping on the back of Jones by the boys nearest him). Well, but we beat em(cheers). Ay, but why did we beat em? Answer me that(shouts of your play). Nonsense! Twasnt the wind and kick-off eitherthat wouldnt do it. Twasnt because weve half-a-dozen of the best players in the school, as we have. I wouldnt change Warner, and Hedge, and Crab, and the young un, for any six on their side(violent cheers). But half-a-dozen fellows cant keep it up for two hours against two hundred. Why is it, then? Ill tell you what I think. Its because weve more reliance on one another, more of a house feeling, more fellowship than the School can have. Each of us knows and can depend on his next-hand man betterthats why we beat em to-day. Weve union, theyve divisiontheres the secret(cheers). But hows this to be kept up? Hows it to be improved? Thats the question. For I take it were all in earnest about beating the School, whatever else we care about. I know Id sooner win two School-house matches running than get the Balliol scholarship any day(frantic cheers). Now, Im as proud of the house as any one. I believe its the best house in the school, out-and-out(cheers). But its a long way from what I want to see it. First, theres a deal of bullying going on. I know it well. I dont pry about and interfere; that only makes it more underhand, and encourages the small boys to come to us with their fingers in their eyes telling tales, and so we should be worse off than ever. Its very little kindness for the sixth to meddle generallyyou youngsters, mind that. Youll be all the better football players for learning to stand it, and to take your own parts, and fight it through. But depend on it, theres nothing breaks up a house like bullying. Bullies are cowards, and one coward makes many; so good-bye to the School-house match if bullying gets ahead here. (Loud applause from the small boys, who look meaningly at Flashman and other boys at the tables.) Then theres fuddling about in the public- house, and drinking bad spirits, and punch, and such rot-gut stuff. That wont make good drop-kicks or chargers of you, take my word for it. You get plenty of good beer here, and thats enough for you; and drinking isnt fine or manly, whatever some of you may think of it. One other thing I must have a word about. A lot of you think and say, for Ive heard you, Theres this new doctor hasnt been here so long as some of us, and hes changing all the old customs. Rugby, and the School-house especially, are going to the dogs. Stand up for the good old ways, and down with the Doctor! Now Im as fond of old Rugby customs and ways as any of you, and Ive been here longer than any of you, and Ill give you a word of advice in time, for I shouldnt like to see any of you getting sacked. Down with the Doctors easier said than done. Youll find him pretty tight on his perch, I take it, and an awkwardish customer to handle in that line. Besides now, what customs has he put down? There was the good old custom of taking the linchpins out of the farmers and bagmens gigs at the fairs, and a cowardly blackguard custom it was. We all know what came of it, and no wonder the Doctor objected to it. But come now, any of you, name a custom that he has put down. The hounds, calls out a fifth-form boy, clad in a green cutaway with brass buttons and cord trousers, the leader of the sporting interest, and reputed a great rider and keen hand generally. Well, we had six or seven mangey harriers and beagles belonging to the house, Ill allow, and had had them for years, and that the Doctor put them down. But what good ever came of them? Only rows with all the keepers for ten miles round; and big-side Hare and Hounds is better fun ten times over. What else? No answer. Well, I wont go on. Think it over for yourselves: youll find, I believe, that he dont meddle with any one thats worth keeping. And mind now, I say again, look out for squalls, if you will go your own way, and |
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
Copyright: All texts on Bibliomania are © Bibliomania.com Ltd, and may not be reproduced in any form without our written permission. See our FAQ for more details. | ||||||||