St. Michael's College Magazine HITCHIN.

VOLUME XV. No. 3. CHRISTMAS, 1937.

EDITOR : REV. ANDREW BECK, A.A.

EDITORIAL.

To the Catholic Christmas is a time of joy which goes beyond the mere gaiety of a festive season and has its roots in the soul. For Christmas marks the beginning on earth of the Redemption of mankind ; unto us was a Saviour born. The Babe of Bethlehem was God made man—" true God of true God, begotten not made, consubstantial with the Father " as we say and sing in the Creed ; and He came on earth to save men, to blot out the handwriting of the decree that was against us, to make us again the friends and children of God, to make us indeed His own friends through His personal contact with our souls.

And "there was no room for them in the Inn. That bare, matter- of-fact statement is one of the saddest little sentences in the Gospels. " He came into His own, and His own received Him not." The world has not changed greatly since the days of Augustus and Herod. Men still have no room for Christ in their lives or their hearts.

It is a tradition among the Assumptionists, that no matter how poor or sparsely furnished other parts of the house may be, the Chapel shall always be given the richest and the best. During the last year we have been building and extending at St. Michael's and almost inevitably one has compared the new additions for the purposes of secular education with the lowliness and poverty of our Chapel. A poor little building, overshadowed by the vast bulk of the new wing, reduced even further by the recent extension in the Hall, it has seemed to be crowded out by the blatant freshness of Classrooms, Library and Stage. We are grateful therefore that from one of the Old Boys has come the suggestion that we should open a New Chapel Fund, so that one day,--and we hope it will not be in the too far distant future—the new wing of vulgar and worldly wisdom may be balanced by the symbol and structure of Wisdom, Holiness and Truth, and that there may be ample, generous and richly adorned room in our midst for the God-Man who was once the Babe of Bethlehem.

The New Chapel Fund is open. May the Chapel itself soon follow.

CHRONICLE. Sept. 21st To see the awesome, grey tower and the mansard, with

steely fingers probing the sky, is an ennervating ordeal, especially after nine weeks holiday. The only thing which cheers one, in these circumstances, is the hearty, if raucous welcome extended alike to everyone by " Old Woody."

„ 22nd Candidates for the 1st XI. football team had their first dose of training this afternoon. The groans of lungs and limbs alike were sure signs of " slack " holidays. But stiff joints and protesting lungs will soon become supple and everyone awaits the Kick-Off.

„ 23rd Yesterday's football enthusiasts hobble about like old men, to the accompaniment of many caustic remarks from those who did not take part in the training.

„ 24th We have noted that the Staff have a new game on the lawn. They bend low, make a swinging movemen t of the arm, then they stay tense. This they all do in turn. When this is done they walk up the lawn and hold a conference (must be a game for intellects) sometimes a heated one. When a solution is reached, —presumably by right-angled triangles,—they start all over again.

„ 25th We have made discreet enquiries concerning the method of recreation employed by the Staff and we find that this game is exactly the same as was played by Sir Francis Drake before the Armada was sighted.

„ 27th Lemmon broke a dish to-day, —Whence all but he were served. The ruddy flame that lit his face, Made " Tessy" say —" My Word."

• 29th Feast of St. Michael. Solemn High Mass was cele- brated by Father Evariste assisted by Father Bona-venture and Father Andrew. The Choir rendered the " Mass of St. Cecilia " with much expression and feeling. After High Mass we celebrated the feast by making ample use of the whole holiday allotted to us.

„ 30th St. Michael and all the Angels were not very helpful when we met Hitchin Wednesday for the first soccer match of the season. We were defeated by 5 goals to 2 .

Oct. 1st • Pyne, of Matriculation fame, graduates to-day. —Swot and worry made him thin, He's fatter now than he's ever " bin."

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Oct. 2nd Brother Anthony and Brother Sebastian, two old Michaeleans, renewed their vows this morning in the College Chapel. We wish them every success and blessing in the life that they have chosen. In the afternoon the 1st XI. played their first school-fixture against St. Christopher School, Letchworth. St. Michael's won after a hard-fought game, by 5 goals to 2.

4th A wasp's nest installed itself by the school fence during last week. After most of the boys had been stung it it s was considered necessary by Father James,, that some infernal machine must be made in order to send these (what did Walsh call them ?) into oblivion. In the dead of night, the nest being quiet, Father James successfully made a mud pie of the whole nest.—And so they died.

5th We learn from authoritative circles that Nicholas may not be fondled by the more fatherly members of the Senior School.

„ 7th " Mr. Webb " caused a great deal of trouble to-day when the smoke from his cigarette came drifting into the Sixth Form. Whereupon the question was hotly debated as to whether we were smoking or not. We were not—were we ?

„ 9th We are reminded of the fact that the time for our concert is approaching, by the constant removal of goods to and from the stage.

• 1 1 th To-day an amazing record was broken. It rained for the first time in three weeks. Hitchin's oldest inhabitant, when consulted on the matter of this prolonged drought, said that no good would come of it since it was usual for the past hundred years to rain every day.—That's Hitchin.

„ 12th A Fourth form mathematician to-day pronounced a splendid howler : 18 divided by three, goes five times and three over.

„ 13th The 2nd XI. football team to-day met Welwyn High School , following in their father's footsteps by winning with a handsome score of 10 goals to nil.

14th When a certain member of the Sixth was asked to translate the phrase, " Comme corbeille de noces " he immediately replied—" Like a basket of , nuts."

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Oct. 16th After a very keen match the 1st XI. was beaten by Letchworth Boy's Club by 3 goal to 1. The 2nd XI. were more successful against St. Christo-pher School, beating them 6-0.

„ 17th The Michaeleans' Parliament held the first session of this term, the subject being whether Railways were more advantageous roads as a means of transport. After many involved arguments the vote stood in favour of Railways.

22 18th In the middle of the night, the quiet of the Dormitory was broken by Woodward shouting in his sleep 'X I 2 I X.' We wonder whether this was a nightmare, —the subject being Algebra—or whether he indulges in football pools and this was his winning line.

20th The 1st XI. should have played Hitchin Police, hut the match was cancelled. We take it that they were enjoying a raid or something like that and not that they backed out.

/2 21st We have read in the papers that there is to he a tax on pigeon-cotes. We hope this does not mean we are to lose our fantails—They are such pe(s)ts.

I/ 23rd Brother Supervisor's alarm clock failed to function this morning and the boarders slept until twenty minutes to eight. It was heavenly.

25th This afternoon the whole school assembled in the study hall to wish Father Evariste a very happy feast day, which falls to-morrow. After a speech by B. Clitheroe. the school captain, Father Evariste was presented with a Badminton set. Father Evariste then replied by thanking the boys and Masters, and by freeing the boys from impositions of every kind.

„ 26th The occasion of Father Evariste's Feast Day is looked upon by all as a day of rejoicing. The boys make a whole holiday good groundwork for such joy.

27th From the rising of the sun to its disappearance it continued to rain unceasingly. This was particularly painful as we have our half-holiday to-day.

I/ 28th More strange noises issued forth in the Dormitory in the middle of the night. Some say it is ghosts in the tower others say it is Woody trying his voice at a lullaby.

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Oct, 30th We begin our half term holiday pleasantly with the prospects of an interesting and exciting Old Boys match, but the Old Boys damped our enthusiasm by beating us by 3 goals to 2.

31st Certain Old Boys have cause to remember that they stayed at St. Michael's over the week-end. They still know how to take a "ragging."

Nov. 1st We finish our half term holiday with a whole holiday for the feast of All Saints. After High Mass we had the usual " Saints " v. " Sinners " match. The " Sinners " won by 7 goals to 2.

PP 2nd In the Senior Gym Class, fencing has been in augurated. The pupils have developed an excellent style but we do wish they would not apply their " style at table.

PP 3rd The Sixth form committed themselves to singing dirges. When an enquiry was made, the reason for the wailing was plain. The front middle desk was empty so they sang in memory of that versatile fellow commonly known as " Ginger."

„ 4th Daly caused considerable mirth when he admitted quite frankly that he takes " Billy " (Bile) Beans each morning.

„ 5th For the occasion of Guy Fawkes' night a large bonfire was prepared under the supervision of Father James. A suitable guy was prepared by Wells & Co. It was interesting to note that the Guy carried a Latin-book in his pocket. The fire and fire-works gave ample amusement for an hour and a half.

„ 8th It was spread abroad that a bird was in the library but no trace was found.— Perhaps this was propaganda to make the Seniors use the reference Library.

„ 9th Characters for the school concert are chosen. The plays are read and so the work begins. But the usual arguments have to be thrashed out, i.e.—The argument

of who has got the most to say. 11th Armistice Day. The two minutes' silence was cele-

brated by the whole school in chapel.

PP 12th It is rumoured that the college is to possess a Talkie-cinema apparatus. We have heard that a trial is to be made on Monday.

„ 13th The 1st XI. played Letchworth Boy's Club and beat them after a hard-fought game by 6 goals to 4.

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Nov. 15th The Talkie apparatus had its trial to-day before the whole School. We wonder if it is to stay.

„ 16th The silence of the study-hall is frequently broken by bloodthirsty shouts from the stage beneath. Some come from actors ; others (mostly) come from a frantic producer.

„ 17th The 1st XI. played Alleyne's Grammar School to-day. After being 1-3 down at half time they fought back splendidly to win 5-4.

„ 18th St. Michael's is now more famous than ever since the exploits of Tucker, for it was here that he underwent the " toughening process."

„ After the roughest match for many years the 1st XI. succeeded in beating Hitchin Wanderers, by 4 goals to 1.

„ 22nd As the day of the concert approaches, so the stage becomes more untidy and more like a bazaar. Scenery curtains, boxes, electrical appliances are scattered about. A swarm of electricians hammers lustily, and everything is in a state of chaos. In the middle of all this stands the producer with a group of actors about him, trying to rehearse a play.

„ 23rd When an aeroplance happens to pass over the college people look up and say—" Must be Tucker." Even if a squadron pursues its noisy career in the vicinity of the college the younger members say—" Bet that's Tucker."

„ 24th To-day, Father Evariste allowed the Boarders to see " Fire over England." We thus enjoyed a pleasant afternoon at the pictures. But History ! What sins are committed in thy name !

„ 26th Who said the Magna Charter was signed in 1066 ?

„ 27th The 1st XL beat Alleyne's Grammar School Old Boys by 7 goals to nil.

„ 29th The Vigil of Father Andrew's Feast day was the cause of rejoicing in the Sixth. This was due to the fact that Father Andrew does not visit the Sixth on Tuesday. They therefore took Monday as a boon—Three free periods.

„ 30th The upper school rejoices at the event of Father Andrew's feast day ) for his administration is spread widely and profusely about the Senior School.

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Dec. 1st The beginning of the month brought with it a wealthy supply of moisture bestowing it generously on Hitchin.

2nd The " wealth of moisture " still tends to make itself felt in these surroundings.

4th This afternoon we were reminded of the proximity of Christmas by a fall of snow, quite half an inch deep. Nevertheless the stalwarts of the 1st XI. placed them-selves at the mercy of the " Blizzard " and succeeded in beating H.C.A.C.F.C. by 5 goals to nil.

„ 5th After Mass the majority of the school populace swarmed into the field in eager anticipation of a good clean snow fight. But the snow had thawed whilst they were in Chapel. Hence " muddy " disappointment.

P. WILLCOCKS,

Form VI.

SCHOOL NOTES.

The term which opened in such fair weather with the gentle warmth of the late summer treacherously misleading us, has closed in a furious flurry of snow, hail, sleet and rain. It has been a term of little external activity but (we trust) of solid and serious work, St. Michael's Day, the feast of St. Evariste and All Saints brought us well-earned relaxation at regular intervals.

Hammer and chisel, saw, brace and bit, have all been at work on the "stage." Fr. James and Mr. Jones have been seen at all hours of the night balanced on ladders, surrounded by coils of wire, bulbs and lamps and holders, perfecting the lighting. We feel sure that future entertainments will have no fear of being put in the shade. And we are grateful for all this arduous labour on our behalf.

At the beginning of the term we lost Br. Kieran, Br. Peter and Br. Eric, who have crossed to the continent to continue their theological studies. We extend a hearty welcome to Br. Sebastian Redmond and Br. Anthony Foyster—.both Old Michaeleans—who have come hack to take their place on the Staff.

* * * * * We are especially grateful to Br. Sebastian for the care he has

taken of the " Pips and Squeaks," and for the enthusiasm he has infused into their games.

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Thanks to Fr. James and his assistants the Hall has now been marked out for Badminton, and week-ends especially have shown some excellent and exciting play.

We hear that 0. Pyne is shortly to produce a book entitled " The Ins and Outs of School Life."

* * * * * During the term the Fifth and Sixth have combined together

to listen to a series of papers on historical subjects written by mem-bers of the Sixth. These have proved most interesting and success-ful, though discussions of the papers could, on the whole have been more general. Two official critics were appointed for each paper and these usually did their work well. The series will continue next term when the Fifth will provide the speakers.

The following papers have been read and discussed :-" THE INDIAN MUTINY." By M. Hollingshead.

Critics—L. Fallowfield and D. Toombs. A good paper with much grim detail of the mutiny and its repression.

" THE CATHOLIC REVIVAL IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY." By B. Wells. Critics, P. Willcocks and B. Lemmon. The paper concentrated too much on the career of Daniel O'Connell, and was too scanty on later Catholic development.

" WILLIAM PITT, EARL OF CHATHAM." By B. Lemmon. Critics, P. Murphy and T. Daly. A panegyric of the great states-man which lost life through lack of detail.

" THE STORY OF THE OXFORD MOVEMENT." By T. Carter. Critics, F. Rogers and B. Wells. A good paper treated on wide lines, and not sacrificing everything to Newman.

" THE STORY OF CATHOLIC EMANCIPATION." By L. Fallowfield. Critics, T. Carter and M. Hollingshead. A long and complete paper taking full account of the early emancipation movements.

" CHILD LABOUR IN THE EIGHTEENTH AND NINETEENTH CENTURIES." By P. Willcocks. Critics, T. Daly and F. Rogers. A good paper based on the work of Mr. and Mrs. Hammond ; one-sided, however, in taking no account of remedial legislation. This paper is reproduced elsewhere in the Magazine.

" RAILWAY HISTORY IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY." By P. Murphy. Critics, B. Lemmon and D. Toombs. This interesting paper produced the best discussion of the term, chiefly on technical details,—and the " Puffing Billy."

" THE CAREER OF LORD PALMERSTON, " By D. Toombs. Critics, P. Willcocks and L. Fallowfield. The critics admirably summed up this paper by saying that its title should rather have been " Foreign Politics in the Days of Palmerston," The longest paper of the series.

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" THE HISTORY OF TRADE UNIONISM." By T. Daly. Critics, T. Carter and P. Murphy. This was a brief , orthodox account of Trade Union growth during the nineteenth century.

We are grateful to Mrs. Lawless for a gift of green silk for a new Tabernacle veil and missal cover. Br. Frederick also wishes to express his sincere thanks to the following, for gifts of flowers for the Chapel :—Mrs. Alder Smith, Mrs. Furr, Mrs. Gordon, Mrs. Jefferies, Mrs. Ross and Mrs. Wells.

* * * * * Congratulations to 0. PYNE on passing the London Ma-

triculation Examination in September, and to the following suc-cessful candidates at the Cambridge Locals in the summer : T. BOLDING. School Certificate. Credits in Spanish and Mathe-

matics. Pass in English, French and Art. M. LYNCH. School Certificate. Credits in English, History,

French and Mathematics. Pass in Religious Knowledge and Latin.

R. A. PALMER. School Certificate. Credits in English, History, French, Mathematics. Pass in Religious Knowledge and Art

P. SMITH. School Certificate with exemptions from Matriculation. Credits in English, Religious Knowledge, History, Latin, French, Mathematics and Art. Pass in Spanish.

T. CARTER. Junior Certificate. Pass in English, Religious Knowledge, French, Mathematics and Art.

L. FALLOWFIELD. Junior Certificate. Pass in English, Religious Knowledge, History, Mathematics, Chemistry and Art.

M. A. HOLLINGSHEAD. Junior Certificate. Pass in English Religious Knowledge, History, French, Spanish, Mathematics, and Art.

B. LEMMON. Junior Certificate. Pass in English, Religious Knowledge, French, Mathematics and Art.

P. J. MURPHY. Junior Certificate. Pass in English, Geography, French, Spanish, Mathematics and Art.

* * * * * Congratulations to the following who were awarded Rolls of

Honour during the term :- OCTOBER.

First Class. H. BEBB, E. WILKINS, G. ALLEN, J. HARE, J. REDFORD, D. MACCULLOCH, P. MANNOX, V. PAYNE, R. RABAN, P. WOOLCOOT, P. MACCULLOCH, E. WHITING.

Second Class. T. DALY, M. HOLLINGSHEAD, F. ROGERS, R. BENNETT, S. DUNCAN, J. LAWLESS, J. LEE, A. BEBB, L. BOFFIN, D. DENTON, J. MCNICHOLAS, D. STEVENSON, B. SMEETON, L. BIRNEY

G. PAYNE, J. HYDE, R. TURNER, R. WHITING.

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NOVEMBER.

First Class—T. DALY, H. BEM, A. BEBB, P. BURKE, E. WILKINS, G. ALLEN, J. HARE, J. REDFORD, B. SMEETON; D. MAC CULLOCH, V. PAYNE R. RABAN, L. BIRNEY, P. MANNOX, P. WOOLCOOT, P. MACCULLOCH.

Second Class. M. HOLLINGSHEAD, P. MURPHY, R. BENNETT, J. LAWLESS, A. BORECKI, L. BOFFIN, B. BUISSON, W. DALY, D. DENTON, I. DERAMOND, M. DERAMOND, H. DIBBEN, J. MCNICHOLAS, P. BEADSWORTH, E. JARRETT, F. KILLEEN, P. MERRICK, V. PETTITT B. PETTITT, J. HYDE.

The new term will begin on Thursday, January 20th, 1938. Boarders will be expected back on the evening of Wednesday, January 19th.

* * * * * The Editor acknowledges with thanks, and apologies for

inadvertent omissions, receipt of the following contemporaries :--The Georgian (2), The Hertfordian, Hitchin, Grammar School Chronicle, The Huntingdonian. La Retraite, The Lutonian, The Ratcliffian, The Raven, Sacred Licari School Magazine, St. Christo-pher Magazine, St. Francis' College Magazine, The Ushaw. Magazine, The Wonersh Magazine.

* * * *

CONFRATERNITY NOTES.

This term we have had several interesting talks from Fr. Evariste. We learnt, with some pride, that Brother Gabriel, who became a member when the Confraternity first started at St. Michaels', will shortly be made a priest. We learnt also that S. Jefferies safely reached Valladolid but not before he had quite an an exciting adventure. Also S. Moss and M. Lynch are in France and pleading for letters every time they write. They are trying to teach the French boys Jazz and Football a wonderful combina-tion—but so far their efforts have not had much success. Those who may wish to write to them, but do not know the right address, or are too shy to ask for it, should know they may he found at Maison St. Antoine, Les Essarts, Par Grand Couronne, Seine

Inferieure, France.

Having got all that over, there is just another point I want to touch on before I finish. That is the Confraternity subscriptions. These are conspicuous by their absence and continue to be so every term. The contribution is twopence a week for each boy. For

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some this seems to work out to sixpence a YEAR. Some, of course, perhaps cannot afford all this. But that does not mean they have to go to the other extreme. So next term we must expect to see considerable improvement in the balance sheet. I hope this pricks your consciences and when you attack your Christmas pudding on the 25th and lay bare the threepenny bits, you will remember the debt you owe to the Confraternity. Remorse will overcome you, so much so that you will secretly slide a few into your pockets with the intention of bringing them back next term to school. But when you do come back don't say you have left that suit at home.

B. WELLS,

Secretary .

CHAPEL NOTES.

As usual during the Christmas term we celebrated the feasts of St. Michael and All Saints. These were carried out with solemnity which we appreciate all the more because we are so seldom privi-leged to enjoy it. On each of these occasions High Mass was celebrated by Fr. Superior assisted by Fr. Bonaventure and Fr. Andrew. The altar was tastefully decorated each time.

I wish to point out one thing concerning " the Sundays Collection " that is :— it helps to pay for the decoration of the altar. This may be news to some of the members of the school and it may urge them to greater generosity.

The collection box at the entrance of the chapel now bears a new notice which reads " Offerings for the New Chapel."

Perhaps some of the present generation will see this dream realised. We all hope that its walls may rise in the not too distant future.

J. LAWLESS, Form V.

THE MICHAELEANS' PARLIAMENT.

The Members of the House met on Thursday, September 30th, to elect a new Speaker and a clerk. To the former office was ap-pointed L. FALLOWFIELD, to the latter P. WILLCOCKS.

It was urged that the House, with one year's constitutional experience behind it, should now be a self-operating body capable of carrying out its activities independently of Staff intervention. This appeal failed to arouse the spirit of initiative among the senior members of the school who have contentedly left to the English

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Master the task of organizing the meetings, fixing dates, and proposing the subjects for discussion. It is most desirable that the need for this impulse from without should be eliminated. The members of the staff may occasionally be the guests of the House. They should not take leading parts.

Three debates were held this term. The discussions were lively on all three occasions, but no striking pitch of oratory was reached by any of the speakers.

The House assembled for the first time on Sunday, October 17th D. TOOMBS (Bedford) proposed the motion :-

" That the development of road-transport to the detriment of the railways, is another proof of modern muddle-headedness."

Mr. Toombs was extensive rather than deep in his treatment of the question. His arguments against the advisability of de-veloping road transport were numerous rather than cogent. He based his thesis on four main lines of argument, and endeavoured to prove that road transport

(a) is more costly for the nation than carriage by rail. (b) is more dangerous for the public. (c) is more detrimental to the beauty of the countryside. (d) is less speedy and therefore less useful than rail transport. Mr. Toombs documented his proof with quotations from

" The Times," and with statistical references to some rather obscure Company which caters for road passengers in Bedfordshire. He was particularly eloquent in his third argument. " Among the inevitable accessories of road transport are these ugly garages and petrol stations which disfigure our English roads. Gaudily painted filling pumps and glaring advertisements befoul the most picturesque villages. Nameless shacks are constructed without line or colour to serve as " pull-ups " for lorry-drivers. The beautiful lanes of England are transformed into featureless stretches of concrete and become speed tracks for murderous lorries and coaches. The air is polluted with the fumes of petrol and oil ; and the ear-soothing voices of nature are drowned in the harsh grinding of brakes, the shrieks of hooters and the " revving " of engines."

MR, WELLS (Bedford, Southern division) seconded the motion. To an astonished House, Mr. Wells extolled the Romanticism of the Railway. He drew telling pictures of the child, thrilled at the sight of an engine-driver, gleeful at the prospect of a train-ride ; of grave men for whom the view of a fast moving train is an un-failing source of pleasure. It would be unfair to reproduce this speaker's oratory verbatim. To be appreciated it would need to be heard as given by Mr. Wells, with the inimitable Wellsian dis-regard for the accepted forms of eloquence.

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The Opposition was led by the Hon. Member for Chester, who attempted a methodical refutation of each successive point put forward by his opponents. This member from the North West, it will be noted in the reports of other debates, makes an excessive use of ad hominem arguments. But in the present discussion of an altogether impersonal motion there was little scope for his usual go-for-the-man methods.

H. BEBB seconded the opposing vote and then the Speaker declared the discussion open.

MR. LEMMON (Charlton) asked Mr. Willcocks if he realised what a tremendous burden would fall on the financial resources of the nation if it were ever decided to abandon the rail-road system and convert all traffic lines into motor roads.

MR. WILLCOCKS. Motorists and road users in general have always borne without complaint the heavy taxation necessitated by road upkeep. If it were found advantageous for trade purposes to use exclusively road transport, tradesmen and industrials would doubtless shoulder the cost of conversion.

MR. MCNICHOLAS (March). Can the honorable member for Chester visualise the already overcrowded roads of the country if they were suddenly to become lines of transport for the thousands of passengers and millions of tons of goods which are at present carried by rail ?

MR. WILLCOCKS. With our actual road system the idea is undoubtedly fantastic. But it is possible to conceive an organised system of trunk roads and branch roads which would cope with all kinds of transport.

The Speaker closed the debate at 4 p.m. Voting time showed that the House was in favour of the motion by 13 votes to 7.

On Sunday, November 7th, the following motion was discussed : " That this House views with concern the almost total disap-

pearance of the privileges once held by the Senior members of the School."

T. CARTER (Brockley) stated that senior Michaeleans had never, within memory, enjoyed a vast number of privileges but that they had once enjoyed the appreciable advantage of being allowed out singly or in small groups, unhampered by the somewhat humiliating presence of an " official guide." He pleaded for the restoration of that privilege. If abuses were detected, the offenders could be severely dealt with. He was convinced that the present generation was sufficiently responsible to know how to make good and profitable use of a reasonable amount of freedom. Mr. Carter spoke feelingly on the question of the stick as a means of punishment. He said that although the seniors had never been officially exempt from corporal punishment, it had been felt and even openly urged by

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respected members of the Staff that it was to say the least un-dignified for Sixth Formers to have to bend their backs to the disciplinary rod.

.J. MCNICHOLAS who seconded the motion spoke briefly but forcibly. His speech was caustically summarised by a member of the Opposition as a " plea for less homework and more to eat." The honourable member's suggestions were not however so ex-clusively materialistic as this might lead to suppose. His contention was that a sound mind can flourish only in a sound body, and that to a point, the intellectual appetite is keen only when the other one is completely satisfied.

The Opposition attacked from a fundamental angle, and poured ridicule on the idea of demanding privileges for one section of the community in an age when the general trend is towards the sup-pression of all privileges and the levelling of classes. Mr. Carter deprecated the communistic tone of this reply and asserted the principle that the superiority of years and a longer standing in the school should entail some advantages. Mr. Carter was asked what there was in the locality that could possibly serve as an attraction for the senior boys if they were allowed out. He admitted that the town had few attractions, but claimed that the feeling of liberty was in itself the most glorious attraction, and that in any case those who felt no inclination to use the privilege might ignore it.

There was a tendency in the discussion to drift back to the lower plane of gastronomical privileges until Mr. Lemmon (Charlton) shamed certain members by reminding them that it was surely the privilege of small boys to be concerned about quantities of food, and that seniors should be far above such preoccupations.

The Opposition, in its eagerness to secure votes had persuaded some members of the Junior School to fill up the benches. The machination defeated its own ends, for this section of the House, having an eye to the future voted to a man for the motion which was carried by a majority of 26.

The report of the third meeting is held over till the next number of the Magazine.

THE CLERK.

"I MET A LITTLE WOMAN WHO HAS UNDERTAKEN A GREAT ENTERPRISE".

When Fr. d'Alzon, the founder of the Assumptionist Congre-gation returned to Nimes from Paris in 1867, he said to his Religious " I met a little woman who has undertaken a great enterprise." A few months ago in Paris, at the exhumation of that same little woman, one was tempted to repeat these words and even to add " an enterprise desired by God that has prospered."

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Much has been written on that little woman. There are indeed one or two good books about her in English, written by people more capable than myself, but, somehow I should like to give an account of the exhumation, for the French text impressed me very much indeed. Again it may be of profit to those souls for whom Religion and the supernatural is just something put on on a Sunday morning and taken off again on a Sunday evening ; or for those who think that a saint is just one of those Roman Catholic fairy stories.

To begin with however, let me give a brief sketch of the life and ideal of this little woman, for I feel that it is necessary in order to grasp the full meaning of the exhumation.

Marie Antoinette Fage was born in Paris on Sunday, 7th November, 1824, and was baptised on the following day. Her father, unfortunately not understanding his duty as a father, found that the easiest way out of it was to desert his wife ; she, poor soul, carried on in spite of difficulties, but when Marie Antoinette was scarcely thirteen years of age, she died. It is a hard thing to lose one parent, but it is a calamity to lose both. However, God was watching over this little child. Some trades-people sought her out and brought her up as they would have brought up their own daughter. Here, she served her apprentice-ship to dressmaking and in 1850 we find her earning her own living in the dressmaking establishment of MeSdames Binet. It is recorded that she had an extraordinary influence over her workmates and with gentleness and kindness she succeeded in inducing many to return to their religious practices. Also, whilst with Mesdames Binet she associated herself with a pious society placed under the patronage of Our Lady of Good Counsel, the members of which were charged with the visiting of the sick and the poor. It was at one of the fortnightly meetingS of this pious society that Marie Antoinette made the acquaintance of the Countess de Mesnard and her daughter. These charitable ladies were about to open an or-phanage in which to place some unfortunate young girls they had succeeded in rescuing from misery and want ; they were also looking for a trustworthy person to direct it. On hearing of the extra-ordinary influence exercised by Marie-Antoinette over her com-panions the Countess de Mesnard requested her to take charge of her orphanage. She accepted, and ran it for four years, leaving eventually to take up what proved to be the great work of her life .

It was in the month of May, 1864, that she first came into contact with Fr. Pernet, an Assumptionist, the Priest who was destined

to play such an important part in her life. He had been working for a long time amongst the labouring classes, was appalled at their misery, and waS thinking of a way to help them,

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He had arrived at the conclusion that a woman was necessary. Not any sort of a woman, but a Religious woman, a woman who was prepared to devote, not only her spare time, but the whole of her life, to their needs. He arrived at such a conclusion by no natural means. In each Assumptionist house one may see the picture of a Priest saying Holy Mass. In the top right hand corner there is a smaller one, that of a poor man's home, an invalid in bed—a group of little children—but the outstanding figure is that of a Nun, apron on, and in attendance on the sick person. Were you to en-quire as to the significance of that picture you would be told that " one day at the beginning of the year 1864 Fr. Pernet was cele-brating the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for the poor, and while offering himself in union with the Divine Victim, and imploring Our Lord to enlighten him, and to make known His Holy Will, he received full and perfect light. He saw clearly, that in order to reach and save the poor man's soul and to regenerate his family, material help was not sufficient. Religious women, who had sacrificed their worldly prospects and comforts would alone be capable of penetrating into those unfortunate hovels of the poor. They alone by their soothing words and tender care would be able to win back the heart of the poor labourer, and thus prepare the road for the Priest and for the Divine Master Himself."

He found two young ladies willing to help him in his foundation, but neither of them had the qualities of a leader. Whether you think it the work of God or not, the fact remains that Fr. Pernet met Antoinette Fage,—a young woman, who although a very pious person, did not feel in the least called to the Religious Life asked her

—

to take charge of his work—she did so—and together they founded the congregation of the Little Sisters of the Assumption, which has become a powerful but hidden organisation for Christian regenera-tion of the working classes. I cannot go into further detail here, for the aim of this article is to describe the exhumation of this pious Nun, but at the end of it I shall append a list of books on the Congregation which may be read with profit.

Mother Marie de Jesus as Mlle. Antoinette Fage was called in Religion, died on September 48th, 1883 as the evening Angelus ascended to heaven.

The apostolic formalities for her beatification and canonisation being practically finished, it was found necessary, and this in ac-cordance with canonical prescription, to exhume and identify the body of the Servant of God. The official ceremony was fixed by the ecclesiastical tribunal for Monday, 15th February, 1937.

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It is common knowledge that the venerable foundress was buried in 1883 in the " chapelle basse" of the Little Sisters' Mother House, Grenelle, Paris. The Founder, Fr. Pernet joined her there in 1899. What an immense consolation it is for the Little Sisters to thus have their Father and Mother always with them. One cannot help thinking of the common tomb of St. Benedict and St. Scholastica in the basilica of Mount Cassino.

At Grenelle, on entering the chapelle basse, one perceives, just above the steps leading to the sanctuary, the marble slab that covers the double tomb, and one cannot help remarking the homage paid to the precious remains that are covered by that heavy stone. At any hour of the day, a Professed Religious, a Novice or a Postulant may be seen at prayer in that little chapel and even pious lay-people slip in for an occasional visit. It is in the same little Chapel that the verification of the remains of God's little servant took place.

On Sunday, 14th February, the Little Sisters busied themselves with the work preparatory to the ceremony. The Chapel benches were removed, and a large table for the tribunal put into position. Other tables, for the reception of all the things necessary for such a ceremony were arranged as only a Nun knows how to arrange them. Two coffins lay waiting before the Sanctuary ; a large one in case the body of the venerable Mother was found to be intact ; a little one in case it were not. Two large packing cases were ready ; one for the clothing, and the other for the remains of the first coffin. The Little Sisters seemed to have thought of everything for they had even prepared a new habit for their Mother and it is little wonder that their feelings ran high on such a day as this.

Early on the Monday morning a workman opened the tomb. It was no easy task but it is said that he accomplished it well and even refused payment. " What I am doing " he said, " is family work, and one does not have to pay for that."

By 8.30 a.m., the members of the tribunal had arrived. The President, His Lordship Bishop BeausSart, Auxiliary to His Emi-nence the Cardinal Archbishop of Paris, opened the proceedings.

First of all Mother, M-Etienne attested on oath of having assisted at the burial of Mother Marie-de-Jesus in the crypt of the Chapel. Afterwards Sister Sigolène was invited to certify as to the tradition of this souvenir. Then all connected in any way with the exhumation bricklayer, carpenter, doctor, surgeon, etc., had to take an oath to do their respective work to the best of their ability.

All being ready, His Lordship Bishop Beaussart, the Members of the Tribunal, Fr. Possidius, A.A., the Rev. Mother General and her Council, went down into the crypt. Through a breach in the

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wall the outlines of the coffin could just he distinguished ; a glance was sufficient to reveal that the floodS of 1910 had submerged it. The blackened oak of the outer coffin was already decaying. It was a difficult task to get it out Of the vault but finally the workmen were able to slide it on to a waiting stretcher and then they made their way slowly up the staircase, across the courtyard, through the Cloister to the Chapel ; his Lordship, the Members of the Tribunal, the Fathers, the Rev. Mother General and her Council following in their wake.

It is difficult to describe the emotion of those who assisted at the ceremony. Priests, Nuns, Novices, Post ulantS thronged the courtyard in compact silent groups, praying for, and some to, the little creature who seemed to be the heroine of the day. Workmen on a nearby scaffolding gazed mutely on the Scene below them, con-scious that something big was taking place ; something they did not understand, something that had, so to speak, the shroud of the supernatural about it. And beyond the walls of the convent the big Parisian heart throbbed on oblivious of it all.

The coffin was carried into the Chapel and placed before St. Anthony's Altar. Then His Lordship turning to the assembly said " Will all those who do not form part of the ecclesiastical tribunal please retire." The doors were shut and the work of the tribunal began.

The workmen were not long in opening the oaken coffin and in unsealing the inner leaden one. The critical moment had arrived. With great care the last lid was lifted, the wrappings removed, and the relay the body of the foundress. The writing on the formula of her vows was unreadable ; there was a smell of dampness about the clothing, but no other smell. Her hands were seen white and fresh, extremely beautiful hands, on the ring finger of which, the little golden ring of a perpetually professed Nun glittered in the flickering candle-light.

It was the doctors' turn now. They went about their work as if conscious that the body they were handling was no ordinary one, but that of a very holy person. The head once uncovered, the face was seen to resemble remarkably the portraits we possess of the foundress. The clothing was taken off, and the body, wrapped in a white linen cloth, was laid on a table and carefully examined. It waS found to be in a perfect state of preser-vation. The skin was white ; no trace of scarS ; the limbs extremely flexible ; the right eye was missing but this was probably on account of its being severely damaged in 1883 when a plaster cast of the features was taken ; but when a doctor lifted the left eye-lid, the pupil and the ball of the eye appeared as fresh as on the day of her funeral. The deviation of the spine and the weakness of the thorax

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were ample proofs of the torture the good Nun must have suffered during her life-time. The doctors could not help admiring the great soul that was once united to so unfortunate a body. How she accomplished her Mission is above Nature. The Religious who had known Mother Marie-de-Jesus during her life-time and who had been near her at the hour of her death recall well in what a pitiable state she was at that time. Her poor legs were swollen and covered with wounds, from which pus flowed continually and in abundance. Her winding sheet, it is said, was but one mass of rottenness. Thus, given the state of things at the moment of her burial, reasonably one would have expected to find just a skeleton today, and nothing more. The surprise at finding the body intact and the legs without their wounds, is justified, it seems to me. Truly it must be the work of a supernatural force.

The examination over, the Rev. Mother General and her Assistants dressed the body, putting on a religious habit, much the same as the one that had been taken off. The body was afterwards exposed for the veneration of the faithful. The Little Sisters needed no invitation. In a swarm—that seems to me to be the most appropriate term—they passed through the Chapel pausing a mo-ment in silent prayer before the Foundress, and then on and out into the sunshine to carry on the great work she has left them ; the Professed to their poor, the Novices to their Novitiate, where they are preparing themselves in a necessary solitude ; for to become a Little Sister and to do good to the souls to whom she will be sent, the Aspirant has, first of all to prepare her own soul, and to make that soul great.

It is interesting to note that when His Eminence the Cardinal Arch-bishop of Paris heard that the body of Mere Marie de Jesus was found intact, he at once decided to come and pay homage himself. He arrived at 1.30 p.m. and on seeing so many Little Sisters in the courtyard, could not refrain from exclaiming a little maliciously, " Are these all authentic ?"

Later in the afternoon the body was placed in a coffin together with the official documents recording the exhumation, the lid screwed down and sealed and the coffin taken back into the vault which was also closed and officially sealed.

What are we to think about it all ? What does this mean to us ? We cannot say anything just yet. An Assumptionist is

obliged by the Spirit of his Congregation to submit to the judgment of Holy Church in all things. Then we must bow low our heads before the great Authority that Christ has left upon the earth and await patiently her decision. But in the meantime we may pray ; indeed we must pray that God may manifest His Holy Will There are miracles needed for a Canonisation ; two at least.

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Let us pray then that they may take place soon, in order to have the consolation of seeing the humble little woman who under-took a great work, raised to the honours of the Altar. After all, a saint is someone who does, not extraordinary things, but ordinary things with extraordinary Perfection. Bibliography. Little Sisters of the Assumption. C.T.S. Pamphlet .(H.146). The Foundress of the Little Sisters of the Assumption (Longmans). Les Petites Soeurs de l'Assomption—Genevieve Duhamelet (Editions

Bernard Grasset) . Mere Marie de Jesus. (Paris—Bonne Presse).

D. H.

THE EMPLOYMENT OF CHILDREN IN THE EIGHTEENTH AND NINETEENTH CENTURIES.

A Paper read at a Fifth and Sixth History Meeting.

The idea that children of the poor should work for their living is much older than the Industrial Revolution. But as we are concerned only with the period of the Industrial Revolution, and as it was at this time that most of the children were employed in factories or otherwiSe it is safe to say that during this period the employment of children became the most important feature of English social life.

The industrial revolution as you know was the tremendous development of machinery which tended to quicken the slow life of England. Therefore to Parish authorities, encumbered with great masses of unwanted children the new cotton mills in Lancashire Derby, and Nottingham were a godsend.

The factory children of the Industrial Revolution fall into two classes :— (1). Apprentice children ; (2) free labour children, or children living at home with parents or guardians. These children were consigned to their employers at the age of seven and upwards, till they were twenty-one. Next door to the mills prentice-houses were built, and in these two buildings their young lives were spent, at best in monotonous toil, or in a hell of human cruelty. Most of these children came from London, a few from Liverpool.

The London children came at ages ranging from seven to eleven, the Liverpool children came from eight to fifteen : all were bound till they were twenty-one. Their regular working hours, Saturdays includeed, were from 5 a.m. till 8 p.m. and, with the exception of half an hour at 7 a.m. for breakfast, and half an hour at 12 for dinner, they were working continuously the whole time. They were, however, allowed to eat something whilst working in the afternoon. There were no seats in the mill. When lost time

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had to be made up, the hours were from 5 a,.m. till 9 or 10 p.m., and this sometimes lasted for three weeks on end. On Sundays, always some, and sometimes all, were employed from 6 a.m. till noon cleaning machinery. Those who were not so employed were supposed to go to church. It is not surprising that very few of them went, and would absent themselves under pretence of being needed at the mill. The children often lay down on the mill floor and went to sleep before their supper utterly fatigued with not a bit of energy left after their day of toil. The bedding was very simple and unclean ; a blanket to lie on and another blanket, with a horse cover, to throw over them.

The factory system began in 1775 and it took over forty years for the rulers of England to stop this wholesale cruelty. But the system was dying of itself and a new form of child labour was growing up. The change from water power to steam made it possible to build mills and factories in towns and to employ the children of the neighbourhood instead of imported apprentices. In the early days of the factory system the operatives refused to let their own children enter the mills, but economic pressure in time wore down their reluctance. The hand loom weavers during the slow decay of their industry could only keep the wolf from the door by means of their children's earnings.

When a weaver's wage had sunk to 6s. 6d. a week, the earnings of the children became a necessary part of the family income, and parish relief was refused if he had children whom he could send to the mill. Sometimes, too, an adult worker was only given work on condition that he brought children with him. The usual, and so to speak, the official age, at which these free children began their mill life was at six or seven, but there were cases when they were employed at four or five and it was not unusual for babies of three to be working. The way in which these children were first employed was to pick up waste cotton from the floor, and to crawl under the machines where bigger people could not crawl and the smaller they were the more conveniently could they creep under the machines.

When once the children had become wage earners their working life differed little from that of the apprentices already described. They entered the mill gates at 5 or 6 a.m. they left them (at earliest) at 7 or 8 p.m., Saturdays included. All this time they were shut up in temperature ranging from 75 to 85 degrees. The only respite during the fourteen or fifteen hours confinement was afforded by meal hours at most half an hour for breakfast and an hour for dinner, but this did not mean a total respite from work, for instead of tending a machine that was running, they cleaned a machine that was stand-ing still, snatching and swallowing their food as best they could in

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the midst of dust and fluff. Children soon lost all relish for meals eaten in the factory. The fluff used to choke their lungs. When spitting failed to expel it, emetics were freely given.

A practical experiment was once made by a more humane employer to measure the physical strain endured by children. Much to his surprise, he found that in twelve hours the distance covered was no less than 20 miles. And it must be remembered that no seats were supplied, sitting being contrary to the rules.

It was physically impossible to keep such a system working at all except by the driving power of terror. The punishments for arriving late were made sufficiently cruel to overcome the temptation to tired children to take more than three or four hours in bed. One witness had known a child to reach home at eleven o'clock one night, get up at two o'clock next morning in panic and limp to the mill gate. In some mills scarcely an hour passed in the long day without the sound of beating and pitiful cries of pain. Fathers beat their own children to save them from a worse beating by other overseers. In the afternoon the strain grew so severe that the heavy iron stick known as the billy roller was in constant use and the air was filled with cries of pain as sleeping children were hit with this iron roller. Even then it sometimes happened that a small child as he dozed, tumbled into the machine beside him to be mangled for life or perhaps if he was lucky to find a longer and more peaceful sleep.

As the evening wore on the pain, fatigue and tension of mind became insupportable and children would implore anyone who came near them to tell them how many hours were still before them.

A man, once a West Indian Slave master was astounded at the cruelty and harshness towards the children. He observed "I have always thought myself disgraced by being the owner of slaves but we never in the West Indies thought it possible for any human being to be so cruel as to require a child of nine years old to work twelve and a half hours a day".

It was in 1802 that the work for the freedom of these little slaves started and it was not until 1819 that a result was achieved when the " Cotton Factories Regulation Act " was passed. This Act was but the beginning, the only benefit to the children being that night work was forbidden, and children under 9 years of age were not to be employed. But the fact that all this injustice and animal treatment of children was being noticed publicly, was a big step towards the final step.—The freedom of children from the bondage of fat-fingered profiteers.

The lot of children 'employed in the mines and pits was more terrifying and inhuman. The small children in the mines were employed as trappers, that is to open and shut the doors that

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guided the draught of air through the mine. Others had a girdle put round their naked waists, to which a chain from the coal carriage was hooked and passed between the legs, and then they had to crawl along the shaft pulling the truck of coal after them, slipping, and struggling along the narrow passages. Chained, belted, harnessed like dogs in a go-cart, black, saturated with wet, and more than half naked—crawling on their hands and knees and dragging their heavy loads behind them—they presented an appearance indescrib-ably disgusting and unnatural. A sub-commissioner walking through the mines on a tour of inspection met a boy crying and in his report he gave the following story :—The master complained that the boy was one of the slow ones, who would not move unless he saw blood, and that by throwing a piece of coal at him, making thus an ugly gash, he made the boy work harder.

In the Lancashire coal-fields the masters gave the boys and girls a thorough kicking if they did not work properly. The pun-iShment could not have been too pleasant considering the type of boots which these miners wore.

Another type of slavery, rife at this time was using small boys and girls to sweep chimneys. These children were bartered and bought in public to the highest bidder. The price usually paid was about 8 guineas.

These children, like the children in the mines, started with a period of extreme misery, mental and physical, until they became inured to their trade. Their terror of the pitch-dark and often suffocating passage had to be overcome by the pressure of a greater terror below. In order to induce them to climb up, the more humane masters would threaten to beat them, or perhaps only promise them plum pudding at the top ; the less humane would set straw on fire below or thrust pins into their feet. A careful master would send an experienced child up behind to show the newcomer how to place his feet and to catch him if he fell. Sometimes the seasoned boy would take up pins to prevent halts in mid-chimney. When the " repugnance " of ascending the chimney had been overcome, there followed many months of acute physical suffering from the sores on elbows and knee s. The more humane masters would work them leniently during this time, but it was necessary to work them a little or they would never learn the trade.

The best masters made a practice of washing their assistants once a week ; the less careful would leave them unwashed from year's end to year's end. Some stayed four and sometimes five years without washing once. They slept almost invariably with the soot in a cellar ; sometimes on straw, sometimes on bags of soot with another bag to cover them.

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It may be easily imagined, the occupation of a chimney sweep was both dangerous and unhealthy. A disease known as chimney-sweep's cancer was common, and unless it was treated with the knife at an early stage it was fatal. Most of the boys in the trade were stunted in growth, blear-eyed from the soot, and " knapped-kneed " from climbing when their bones were soft and dragging heavy loads. The knees and ankle joints became deformed, from the posi-tion they were obliged to put them in, in order to support themselves, not only when climbing the chimney, but more particularly so in coming down, when they rested entirely on the lower ex-tremities, the arms being used for scraping and sweeping down the soot in the meantime.

In 1788 an attempt was made by a certain Mr. David Porter, the result being that an act was passed by Parliament stating that no master should have more than six apprentices, the apprentices must be washed from soot and dirt at least once a week. and that apprentices must be treated with as much humanity and care as the nature of the Employment of a Chimney Sweep will admit of. this last part of the Act was ignored. If the chimneys happen to be too small the boys were called down, stripped, beaten and forced up, naked, by which means they became crippled. In small flue the children had to keep their arms straight above their heads. If they slipped they would get jammed. If their shirt was crumpled they might get stuck fast, unable to move.

In 1803 a Society for superseding climbing boys was formed by Mr. Wm. Tooke. This Society promoted a bill in 1804 which passed the Commons by which all sweeps within 10 miles of the Royal Exchange had to be licensed and were forbidden to lend their sweeping boys to others. At this time the Society were trying to find a machine which would sweep every kind of chimney.

Some interesting experiments were made by the Society when a good machine was invented. The machine was one invented by a certain Mr. Smart. The machine was applied to 1411 different chimneys of all kinds. In the large houses they succeeded in 89i per cent. In the small houses they succeeded in every case. It was in the big mansions and offices that the difficult chimneys were found, and it was precisely in these chimneys with their horizontal reaches that there was danger of suffocation for the sweeping boy. The child would make his way up to the top of the chimney, and then descend slowly sweeping the soot down as he went. When he reached the bend where the flue turned at right angles he would find great masses of soot into which he might slide as into a death trap. If he lost his bead and got jammed his fate was sealed, unless his cries could bring help in time. Of course, the master sweeps were prejudiced against machinery of any kind

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being used for this would disturb their quiet lives, for it was the apprentices who did the work and the sweep just sat at home and raked in the profits.

In 1817, the Hon. H. G. Bennett, the radical M.P. with the help of Wilberforce brought in a bill to Parliament forbidding the use of apprentices to climb chimneys, but it was rejected. He made successive attempts in 1818 and 1819 but it was not until 1840 that an act was passed which forbade anyone under the age of twenty-one to climb chimneys. This act was amended in 1864, when a chimney-sweep was forbidden to employ any child under 10 years old except on his own premises. Bennett, the best friend of the climbing boys, only lived to see the first of these Acts passed ; he died in 1836.

It requires a very deep and concentrated effort to think of these children who were slaves in the real sense of the word. The children in the mills and the mines worked longer than a man is allowed to work nowadays. They were stolen from the freedom and sunshine which is every man's right, and enslaved ; driven by masters more harsh than the slave master in the West Indies. And yet this took place in that glorious place, styled Free England.

P. WILLCOCKS,

Form V I.

ON A SOUTH-SEA ISLAND.

I stand upon the sandy, scorched shore ; Above me, from the azure vault of heaven, The sun glares down upon this far-off haven.

Below me, fishes glide o'er the ocean floor, And swimming in and out a dark cave door,

Look like many silver arrows, even Though the water's deep and fathoms seven ;

After them the wild birds swoop and soar. The sea is such a clear and sparkling blue,

Its wavelets reflecting the bright sunlight. Beyond the reef it is a deeper hue,

Where still more hungry gulls are in full flight. Some, into the sky now fade from view,

While others upon the calm sea alight. R. A. P.

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THROUGH POLISH EYES.

I stepped from the gangway of the cross-channel boat on to the Newhaven quay with mixed feelings of regret at leaving Poland and joy at landing in a strange country—also alas ! plenty of bags and no knowledge of the English language. At the customs barrier we opened, closed and re-opened our many bags for inspection but at last our possessions were chalked and we were allowed to entrain for London.

I had longed to see the famous city for many years and at last my desire was granted. I was very much impressed by the amount of traffic and noise and the number of people as I drove to the Leicester Hotel. I was unable to see " the sights of London " owing to the advanced hour and I was disappointed because I left for Hitchin early the next morning.

The next night I slept at an hotel in this small town. I am sorry to say that I received a bad impression of this town owing to the price at which they value the use of a bed ! I was, however, later impressed by the goodwill of the townspeople. I started school with a fear of not understanding my school-fellows but I was soon set at rest by the talkative manner of the English boys with a for-eigner. The great difference which I remarked between Polish and English boys is that of greeting one another. English boys are loath to shake hands but merely say " how do !"

However, I have grown accustomed to these numerous but petty differences. I have learnt enough English to converse freely with the boys. Another point to add is the free and easy way in which the English people as a whole regard life. They go about as though there was nothing to worry over.

Lastly, I wish to thank all those who have assisted me and been helpful to a foreign boy in a foreign country.

A. BORECKI,

Form V.

STRAINS OF AN EDITOR.

In the business of preparing a magazine for publication one receives contributions of all sorts—from the smaller fry, from the lords of the upper school (not many of these this term), from the giants of the staff (occasionally) and from Old Boys. As the end of term approaches the Editorial head begins to whirl, papers get mixed up, the wrong contributions go into the waste-paper basket, the printers become difficult, proofs are impossible to read ; and

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then we receive, from one who at times has graced the Magazine with splendid verse, the following lines—parody, too :-

O Editor will you tell us please Do you sit at an angle of ninety degrees, or sag When writing the Mag. ?

Do you subterranean silence seek Or perch on a lofty mountain-peak or crag

When writing the Mag. ? Do you helplessly grovel and tear your hair Or wear a calmly complacent air and brag

When writing the Mag. ? There was a threat of even more—and this from one who has sat at the feet of W. H. Auden and Stephen Spender ! Goaded to a fine frenzy, the editorial pen spluttered a reply. The only apology for printing what was originally a private letter is that it does help to fill a little space in the Mag. !

I refuse to enthuse, For the Mag. is a rag— The work of a hag—not a Muse. The Editor's chair, a throne of despair. And the blues ? They they are there. There's no news. But your verse I shall use, I declare. The Mag. will be out Boxing Day—or about I'll send you a copy You'll think it's too sloppy But why should I care ? Does the Editor sag ? Why, he feels like a rag! And he thinks of the Mag. Like a pain in the neck.

I am, yours, ANDREW BECK.

A POTTED THRILLER.

As I lay awake on my blankets, gazing at the star-spangled sky, framed by the drawn curtain of the tent, I suddenly became aware of the feeling that I was not alone. I suppose you know what

mean. Then I heard a gentle scraping noise and a cold shudder ran down my back ! What could it be ? Was it a snake ? Or a pigmy armed with deadly blowpipe ? I had an idea that Pwala, the pigmy chief, was not so friendly as he pretended to be. I pulled myself together with a jerk, I must not let my imagination

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run away with me like that. Reaching under my pillow for the the revolver I kept there, I was considerably reassured on feeling the touch of cold steel. I shone my torch in the direction of the noise, and there, focussed in the beam, was my assailant. Gently laying down my revolver, I picked up another weapon which was lying by my bed, and raising my arm above my head, with some difficulty—because of the low roof of the tent, I brought it (the weapon, not the tent), down with unerring aim upon my foe.

There was a squelch, and picking up the corpse on a bit of paper, I threw it out of the tent. One less scorpion to trouble man, and also a gory mess on the sole of one of my slippers

R. BENNETT, Form V.

TIME. With brow uncast by care for deeds long past

Or future's fears, with trust bespoken in His eyes, and smiling through his lips that win

Calm hope and love, his step's both sure and fast : His thoughts are eyes towards God, his vision vast Doth show us, you and me, beneath the thin Material veil of delving discipline

God's strong, persuasive hand with grace full cast. O Lord, who 'neath each earthly deed dust hide

The steady road to Thy eternal Sight, That 'neath deliberate speed of time Both bide

The Day when Vision shall succeed twilight ; O Thou, that in our daily life Bost meet

Us, teach uS to kneel there hourly at Thy Feet. G.S.

A FAIRY STORY.

Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess. She was so beautiful that her suitors had to wear sun-glasses to shield their eyes. As she stood in the flower-filled garden that morning, she made a beautiful and arresting picture. A kimono of Softest apricot, over which sprawled parti-coloured dragons and vivid butterflies, swathed her from throat to foot. Her unbound hair fell streaming over her shoulders. Her eyes were twin pools of deep blue and her voice was like a silver brook.

But although she was so beautiful she was not happy. With a sign she sank down into a bench next to her favorite oak. As she sighed the flowers quivered and let fall a few precious drops of per-fume. For a princess had never been known to sigh before,

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As she sat dreaming on the bench a goldfish came and sat down beside her. After a few minutes she noticed him and she was going to get up but the goldfish spoke to her. " Stay ! Why are you sighing ?" he asked. So the princess in half-broken silver sobs told him that she could not marry because nobody would marry her. " But half the kingdom goes with you," persisted the goldfish. " Yes, but it's mortgaged," she said and with that, two golden tears fell out of her deep-blue eyes. Then the goldfish asked her whom she liked the best. " Sir Marcus Holly," she replied. " Tell him to come down to this brook to-morrow at three o'clock with a fishing net." And before the princess could reply, the goldfish with a skip and a hop had vanished in the water.

The princess did as she was bid and the next norning just as the flowers were drinking their dew Sir Marcus Holly came down to the brook complete with net in hand. After ten minutes fishing he had a pile of gold-nuggets a foot high by his side. He did not take long in hurrying to the princess to ask her for her hand—and half the kingdom—and the next week they were married. But what Sir Marcus Holly Said on learning that his half of the kingdom did not include the brook, the editor has censored.

B. WELLS,

Form V I.

PIPS AND SQUEAKS.

These two small words mean a lot to a boy of the Lower School, for in them lie the excitement and controversy of many hard-fought bi-hebdomadal, football matches.

To go into details, one must first make known the colours of the opposing sides. The " Pips " blaze forth in a red shirt, but the blue knickers which form part of the outfit spoil the flaring effect somewhat. Their opponents the " squeaks " dazzle in their " Persil washed " white shirts.

Of course the teams are well matched. Two outstanding personalities in their own opinions, fill the position of captains, and their form mates rely upon them to organise a decent eleven, worthy of " Ye Pypes ande squeakese " of past generations.

Let us run over to the New Field ! We find the pitch, muddy and sticky, and altogether gloriouSly messy. We manage to catch the quavering words, piped from a shivering left-half. "I say c-come on c-c-cads, up the "pipsqueaks !"

We will advance to the touch line, keeping a good look out for officious linesmen. Between twenty and forty players go to the middle of the " Play Zone " to help their captains win the toss.

80

But list'! a piercing blast from the referee's whistle heralds the beginning of the game. Immediately as if drawn by a magnet the crowd of multi-coloured players charge down on the unoffending ball.

The crowd clashes and breaks, a boot meets leather, and away sails the ball like an over-fed skylark.

A clever boy catches it on the wrong side of his head and staggers away complaining of a sprained ankle.

Look ! A speedy winger rushes in and lifts his foot. But he has overstepped his mark, and does a clever sort of leg spin which one often sees on a beginners' skating rink. This clever feat is terminated by an intricate and graceful display of ploughing the mud with his nose.

With unprecedented cunning the " squeaks " who have learnt the gentle art of "Tripping -so-that-the-ref.-doesn't-see," sweep up the field with the innocent ball in their midst.

They near the goal ! " Shoot ! Go on, shoot !" " Ra a-a-h !!" These encouraging exclamations inform the gentle spectator of a cleverly scored goal.

Thus the " squeaks " triumph, and after the conventional cheers all solemnly swear that it was a game worthy of the traditions of many past " Pipsqueakians."

D. MACCULLOCH, Form I Ia.

ROAST TURKEY.

I wonder if the thought of roast turkey affects anyone else as it does me. I fear I am something of a heretic where the worship of this bird is concerned. Most people gurgle with ecstatic delight at the first mention of turkey. Their eyes light up with the lust of feasting and you feel in them the pulse of a gastronomical passion roused by the mental picture of succulent viands. Roast turkey is so universal a favourite among gourmets, his admirers are so numerous, and so loud in their praise of him, that I hesitate to air my views.

The truth is that I am not a little ashamed, at heart, of my almost inhuman dislike, I might call it contempt, for this idol of the dining table. I have found no one to share my sentiment and I am worried lest there be about me some fatal abnormality, some disease of the palate, some deformity of the appetite which cuts me off from culinary intercourse with my fellow men.

A Turkey, is in my opinion, a huge and ugly blot on the Christmas table. I cannot bear the smug way in which he squats

31

like a demi-god in his greasy bath of gravy, with borrowed stuffing to pad his figure. I loathe his two stumps of legs sticking out like dummy guns on a battered cruiser. I hate the pasty whiteness of his flesh which has neither the healthy look of good English beef, nor the delicate appearance of a tender chicken. Above all, I detest the lordly pride with which he dominates the board as if he were the king of the feast and all the other good things were there simply to set off his mighty presence. Does he think that we cannot do without him ? Does he imagine that Christmas would not be Christmas unless he were there to encumber the kitchen with his hulking mass on Christmas Eve and to fill the dining room with it on Christmas Day ? Let him know this as a curb to his overbearing pride : I would give more for a plate of savoury frog's legs than for all his ponderous weight of flesh. I would willingly see him banished for ever, back to the land from which he was uselessly imported. Too long has he been allowed to usurp the throne to which centuries of tradition have elected the Boar's Head. Let us have no more of this foreign intruder.

One last word in condemnation of this self-satisfied fowl, There is only one thing I hold in greater abomination than a turkey roasted, and that is a turkey alive, strutting about a farm yard, balancing a formless mass of feathers on a pair of skinny stilts, uttering the least musical of cries and yet wearing an air of fatuous superiority. Dead, he may have some useful place in the order of things ; alive he is a graceless eyesore.

G. A. STROPHILOS.

OLD BOYS' NOTES.

The big event of the term was the Past v. Present match which took place at Hitchin on October 30th, and was followed by the Annual General Meeting and the Annual Dinner. The whole made a very successful day, and we had a good attendance.

The Past XI. eventually proved to be a X. And we were obliged to borrow a player from the College. The game itself which is probably reported in the Football Notes ,was one of the best of the series, and very evenly contested.

At the Annual General Meeting very little business came up for discussion and all the officers were re-elected.

We held the Dinner at the Sun Hotel this year, and everybody seemed pleased with the change. F. Ward gave the toast of the

College and there were speeches by Yates and Clitheroe.

32

The following were present : Fr. Andrew Beck, Br. Anthony Foyster, Br. Sebastian Redmond, Messrs. E. Godfrey, F. G. Walker, F. T. Ward, W. Carr, P. Lister, E. T. Yates, C. Murphy, R. A. Singfield, B. R. Hall, J. McDermott, F. J. Andrews, P. Osborn, J. B. Heath, D. J. Cahill, S. Roy, G. Wortham, C. F. Cahill, T. D. Ward.

J. J. Shepheard, E. K. Norgan and P. Fallowfield were present only for the match.

NEWS OF EVERYONE. G. T. TUCKER has been considerably in the public eye this

term. On November 2nd lie was the hero of a spectacular crash at Tangmere Aerodrome ,which was thus described by The Times on November 3rd.

" He was reported to have broken one side of the undercarriage in a diving attack with camera-gun on a target set at the edge of the aerodrome—a mishap such as has happened to military aircraft on several occasions—and the right-hand wheel was hanging loose. The pilot was unaware of his misfortune until he was told of it by wireless telephone from the ground and was advised to stay up as long as might be necessary to burn 2 cwt. of petrol in the tanks. While he proceeded to carry our instructions monotonously the tale of his plight spread and a fringe of spectators grew along the roads beside the aerodrome to watch the upshot.

" When at last the Fury came to the end of its fuel the pilot switched off his engine, glided down on a good approach, slid over the heads of the watchers into the landing ground, and held off as long as he safely could. The machine touched lightly and ran along on its one sound wheel until the wings lost their lift. Then it settled down on its game leg, which collapsed. The starboard wing-tip touched, crumpled, and, serving as a pivot, swung the nose over to dig itself into the ground. Held by his safety harness, the pilot had not been flung forward with any violence, and the ambulance and fire-engine, for the services of which there proved to be no need, were soon replaced by a crash party."

Then on November 16th, Tucker managed to crash a bomber when landing in formation—and again escaped with only slight injuries.

We were very , pleased to receive a visit from him at the College on December 5th and to hear his own account of these adventures.

To rip an eight inch deep rut in the ground with the under-carriage of a Hawker Fury while travelling at 200 miles an hour, is surely about as near to death as any of us would care to go. Congratulations to Tucker on his lucky escapes.

33

J. MILLARD is still engaged at the de Havilland works at Hatfield. The following account of a case heard at the Stevenage Sessions and reported in the Hertfordshire Express needs no comment

" Jocelyn Millard (22), 44, London Road, Baldock, who was stated to have ridden a motor-cycle for about 350 yards without having proper control of the machine, at Stevenage, on October 3, was fined £ 1, plus 1/6 costs.

" P.c. Thetford (Harmer Green) said defendant overtook the Hatfield police car when near Cory's Mill, Stevenage, and then let go of his handlebars and put his hands up to his coat collar. He continued to ride without his hands on the handle-bars for two-tenths of a mile, and on one occasion he dropped his left hand and waved on the traffic with his right hand. When stopped defendant said, ' I was only adjusting my scarf.'

" Traffic at the time was fairly heavy. Announcing the fine, the Chairman said defendant was possibly showing off, but he was a danger to other users of the road."

Congratulations to GREG SWANSTON on the birth of a baby daughter early in the year. He has now taken over the business at Yarmouth since the death of his father. R.I.P. " Except for Walter who is still soldiering in Egypt we are still at Yarmouth and keeping very fit . .. Please remember us to all the gang who were with us at school." His address is St. Michael's, 23, Beccles Road, Gorleston.

E. LEMMON wrote from Charlton during November, asking for a Mass to be said for the repose of the soul of Br. Vincent Palmer. R.I.P. He is still working on the Stock Exchange, and " I now play football in the Stock Exchange Leaguer and in the old and only position of Right-Half."

S. ROY is working for a B.Sc. (Engineering) through the City and Guilds College and is very enthusiastic about his work. " I have heard a lot of the more recent news about the school as I met Bolding i. at the Polytechnic . . ."

For the first time in many years S. B. RIDLEY wasnot present at the Old Boys' Annual Meeting. We very much regret to hear of his father's illness, and take the opportunity of thanking him for all the hard work he has put in for the Association.

B. S. KEARNEY has moved from Letchworth—possibly so as to be nearer the N.S.C. His new address is Heathfield, 87, Hadley Road, New Barnet.

The number of Old Michaeleans studying for the Priesthood continues to grow. Brother GABRIEL SLATER, A.A., was ordained Deacon on November 9th. and will be raised to the Priesthood at Rome on March 12th next year. W. J. WALSH at the English College, Lisbon will receive the same honour next year also, but we are not yet aware of the actual date.

34

At St. Edmund's College, Ware, L. COLE has already received the Tonsure, as also have G. POLLARD and T. MACNAMARA. R. BROOM, D. THOMSON and R. WHITNEY are also at the College as ecclesiastical students.

At the Assumptionist Scholasticate at Lormoy Br. JOHN VASSALLO, Br. BERNARD BERRYMAN, Br. ANSELM LEE and Br.DAVID HENNESSY have also received the Tonsure. Congratulations to Br. Bernard who made his Perpetual Profession on October 31st ; and to Br. John who made his on December 9th. Their address is Institut Missionaire St. Augustin, Lormoy pres Montlhery (Seine-et- Oise).

Brother PHILIP LEMMON and Br. ALBAN CHEYNE have begun their second year of Philosophy. The first year students include : Br. KIERAN DUNLOP, Br. ERIC COOPER, and Br. FRANCIS LYNCH. Their address is Maison St. Jean, Scy, par Moulin-lez-Metz (Moselle).

Br. COLUMBA O'LEARY is at the Assumptionist scholasticate at Layrac in the south of France. " I happen to be the only representative of the British Isles here, but there are at least two of nearly every other European nation : two Italians, two Belgians, two Americans, five Spaniards and about twenty-five French so you see we form quite a League of Nations." His address is Seminaire des Missions, Layrac, Lot et Garonne, France.

S. JEFFERIES has begun his theological studies at the Collegio de Ingleses, Valladolid, Spain, and recounts something of the difficulties of the journey. " The journey out here was not bad, hut it took nine days instead of four. After crossing the Spanish frontier, it was like being in " jug " First we had to fill up forms of identification, then fingerprints, then photographs. We were then dumped at Fuenterrabia, our passports taken from us, more iden-tification forms to be filled, and then we had to stop until permission was granted for us to leave for Valladolid. However, the officials were kindness itself, and did their utmost to get us off. They couldn't make us out at Fuenterrabia for we had to report about every two hours at the place we called the Foreign Office to see if our telegram had arrived. The other people, upon not finding theirs used to come away either crying or very sad. (They were 95 per cent. refugees waiting for permission to go back to what was left of their homes). By the way, we were not allowed to Speak English. We did so, not knowing this,and a chappie with a fixed bayonet told us it was better for us not to speak anything else but Spanish. Not possessing a bayonet ourselves, we did not argue, but lapsed into silence. Well, we used to march in and line up facing the desk not saying a word. After the first three visits they knew what we wanted, and on receiving the answer " No, Manana " (not yet, perhaps to-morrow, or next time), we allowed a

35 sickly smile to spread over our faces, then, still in silence, right-about-faced, and marched out. They always smiled with us. Then on a Monday evening, as we appeared one of the typists smilingly handed us our telegram. I didn't know whether she expected us to cry, as we had laughed when it had not come, but she looked at us quite solemnly when we said about time, too.' "

It was a great pleasure to see both R. A. SINGFIELD and B. R. HALL at the Old Boys' Dinner. The former is now an A.M.I.C.E. and has a post as engineer to the contractors on the rebuilding of Aldgate Station. His address is 31, Kensington Gardens Square, Bayswater, W.2. Hall is still a representative of Redline—Glico in Nottinghamshire and manages to do a little farming in a small way, at Rosedale, Bleasby, Notts.

F. J. ANDREWS was another welcome visitor to the College. He is now with the de Havilland Aircraft Co. at Stag Lane.

L. GATES has settled down to married life at " The Chalfonts," Luckmere Drive, Earley, Reading.

Congratulations to E. T. YATES on his appointment as General Engineering Assistant at Gravesend.

Photographs of the Past v. Present group may be obtained from T. B. Latchmore & Sons, Brand Street, Hitchin, at the following prices :---Post Cards, 6d. each. Cabinet size :—Mounted, 2s. each ; Unmounted, 1s. 6d.

THE ENTERTAINMENT. This year we were able to use the new permanent stage, and to

leave the body of the Hall entirely to the audience. The new organisation worked, on the whole very smoothly though there were occasional longiSh pauses, and once the curtains failed to run properly On the other hand the lighting was excellent and " Fr. James & Co." as the Captain called them, are to be congratulated on, and thanked for, a Splendid piece of installation.

The Programme was as follows :— PART I.

1. PIANOFORTE SOLO MR. L. G. SHRIVE 2. A ONE ACT PLAY by E. F. Boyd

" Maripoza Bung, the Pirate's Daughter." Captain Solomon Bung T. WALSH Ben, the Bos'n P. DAVIS Maripoza Bung P. JONES Squibs, the Cabin boy M. BROWN Bertram Carew A. BEBB Pirates P. SCALLY, A. WRIGHT, J. TILDEN,

D. MURPHY, B. PETTITT, T. NICHOLAS, J. DOYLE, P. MACCULLOCH, R. BIRNEY,

36

3. UNISON SONGS THE CHOIR (a) " Song of the Sea King " words by W. Motherwell, music

H. Read (b) " We Tars are all for fun " 18th cent. Shanty arranged by

H. Nicholls 4. " A Song of England " by Alfred Noyes 0. PYNE 5. A ONE ACT PLAY by Bernard Gilbert

" The Old Bull " Charles Elmitt M. HOLLINGSHEAD James Elmitt T. DALY William Smithson B. WELLS Tom Bones D. WOODWARD Sarah Tinsley S. DUNCAN

INTERVAL.

PART II. 1. A PLAY by Laurence Binyon

" King Sophro the Wise " King Sophro B. CLITHEROE His daughters Melaina J GORDON Chlorinda L. PARKER

Prince Paradime P. WILLCOCKS Gargoyn J. MCNICHOLAS Executioner, alias Prince Bul-Bul D. TOOMBS

Scene I. In the Palace. 2. " The Duel " by Eugene Field P. MACCULLOCH 3. " King Sophro the Wise "

Scene I I. The Palace Gardens. 4. " Marksman Sam " L. FALLOWFIELD 5. " King Sophro the Wise "

Scene III. The Magician's Cave. 6. " The Eohippus " by C. P. Gilman A. WRIGHT 7. " King Sophro the Wise "

Scene I V. The Palace Gardens. 8. " Henry King " by H. Belloc T. NICHOLAS 9. " King Sophro the Wise "

Scene V. In the Palace. 10. Two PART SONGS THE CHOIR

(a) " You Gentlemen of England " 17th cent. words 18th cent. music

(b) " Green Hills of England " words by M. Rose, music T. Longmire

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11. THREE SCENES FROM A MYSTERY PLAY by Dom B. A gius " The Coming of Christ "

Kings Gaspar B. LEMMON Melchior T. CARTER Balthasar D. DENTON

Mary G. ALLEN Joseph J. LAWLESS Michal (an old woman) P. SCALLY Children Sura A. SUTTON

Benjamin J. DOYLE Shepherds Rueben F. ROGERS

Simon J. REDFORD Benjamin W. DALY

Jubal (High Priest) E. WILKINS THE CHOIR :- P. Scally, J. Redford, G. Allen, L. Parker,

P. Davis, J. Gordon, J. Doyle, J. Tilden, P. MacCulloch, L. Birney, P. Jones, T. Nicholas D. Murphy, B. Pettitt, M. Brown.

GOD SAVE THE KING.

It is difficult to single out individuals for special mention in an evening's entertainment which reached a uniformly high standard. One was struck by the spirited acting of the pirates, by an excellent rendering of a dogged old stockman by D. Woodward, and by the accomplished smoothness of the whole cast in " King Sophro the

Wise." if Melaina was the prettier and more vivacious girl (the envious cat), Chlorinda had the richer voice, while Prince Paradime was a very dapper and distinguished wooer. Fallowfield's rendering of " Marksman Sam " gained the best laughs of the evening, and Pyne recited a difficult piece of verse with fine restraint. The Mystery Play was beautifully produced in most simple and effective settings. Here too ,the lighting effects were admirable.

FOOTBALL NOTES. We were fortunate in having a good nucleus from last year

round which to build the present st XI. and on the whole we can look back on a very successful team. At the monent of writing we have played 13, won 9 and lost 4 with 55 goals for to 29 against.

Clitheroe, Pyne and Daly have been the backbone of the team. The first-named in particular being a tower of strength at centre- half. Hollingshead has been very erratic but the substitution of Slingsby for Willcocks in goal, and the inclusion of Armstrong at left-back have given the defence much greater solidity. Woodward

38

has made splendid progress in the right-half position and is a per-sistent trier. The forward line as a unit, has been a problem . Wells, with no end of courage and bustle seemed at first a most promising centre-forward, but his ball control and shooting have developed slowly and towards the end of the term Willcocks was tried in the position, Wells moving out to the extreme right. The two insides, Pyne and Daly, physically such contrasts, have been the inspiration and driving force of the line, but sometimes their individual play has hampered combination. Pettitt, Woodward and Scally have appeared at outside left, but the first-named has been much more successful in the left-half position, and the extreme wing still presents a problem.

Junior Football has shown promise, and in view of the size of their opponents the one match lost was a creditable performance. Bailey has proved a hard-working captain, while Bolding, Toombs Duncan,Wilkins and Pettitt ii. all play football in a way that promises well for the future. At present the big handicap is lack of weight and inches.

We must thank Br. Sebastian for his care of the Pips and Squeaks, whose lusty cries and hard-fought games have filled the School Field with the din of battle.

Woodward, Buison and Scally also deserve a special word of thanks for their work in marking the ground and keeping the nets.

Following are the fixtures and results :-

1st XI.

DATE. OPPONENTS. GROUND RESULT. Sept. 27—

Hitchin Wednesday F. C. II. away lost 2— 5 Oct. 2—

St. Christopher School

home won 5— 2 „ 16—

Letchworth Boys' Club

home lost 1— 3 „ 20—

Hitchin Police

home (scratched) „ 23—

Bedford Catholic Club

home won

10— 3 „ 30—

Past v. Present

home lost 2—3 Nov. 6—

Hitchin Grammar School away lost 1—4 „ 10

—

Hitchin Police

home (scratched) „ 13—

Letchworth Boys' Club home won 6—4 „ 17—

Alleyne's Grammar School home won 5—4 „ 20—

Hitchin Wanderers

home won 3—

1

„ 24—

Hitchin Wednesday F. C. II. away (scratched) „ 27—

A.G.S. Old Boys

home won 7—0 Dec. 4—

H.C.A.C.F.C. home won 7—

0

„ 8—

Alleyne's Grammar School away won 2—0 „ 11—

A.G.S. Old Boys

away (scratched) „ 18—

Hitchin B. C. Casuals away won 4—0

39

DATE FIXTURE. GROUND RESULT Oct. 13-2nd XI. v. Welwyn High School away won 10-0

„ 16—Under 15 XI. v. St. Christopher

School away won 6-0 Nov. 6-2nd XI. v. Hitchin Grammar

School home lost 0-5 „ 17—Under 144 XI. v. Alleyne's

Grammar School away won 5-4 Dec. 8—Under 144 XI. v. Alleyne's

Grammar School home won 9-0 September 29th, 1st, XI. V. HITCHIN WED. F. C. Home. Lost 2-5.

Team--Willcocks ; Fallowfield, Hollingshead ; Clitheroe, Fr. John, Guttery ; Wells, Daly, Pyne, Fr. Andrew, Woodward.

Goal Scorers— Pyne, 2. This was the first game of the season and we did well not to

lose by a larger score. The visitors were much heavier and easily hustled us off the ball. Fr. John and Fallowfield were the mainstay of the defence, while Daly put in some good work in the forward line. Our shooting was very wild and many chances were missed. Saturday, October 2nd. 1st XI. v. ST CHRISTOPHER SCHOOL.

Home won 5-2 Team—Willcocks ; Fallowfield, McNicholas ; Pettitt i, Clitheroe, Guttery ; Woodward, Daly, Wells, Pyne, Scally.

A very good game and the play was perhaps closer than the score suggests. Both teams took some time to get going and St. Christopher had better combination but were not too strong in front of goal. Our forwards did not work much as a line but played fairly successfully as individuals. McNicholas tackled well but has to learn to kick first time. Pettitt and Scally, although still very young, showed exceptional promise and in a few years time ought to be really outstanding players but must always remember that it is the team that counts. October 16th, st XI. v. LETCHWORTH BOYS' CLUB. Home, lost 1-3. Team—Willcocks ; Fallowfield, Hollingshead ; Clitheroe, Fr.

Andrew., Guttery; Woodward, Daly, Wells, Pyne, Scally.

Goal Scorer— Wells. The weather was ideal and the match exceedingly well fought

out and thoroughly enjoyable. The Boys' Club were slightly better all round, besides being heavier and more experienced. Fr. Andrew played a very good defensive game at centre-half and held the team well together. Guttery used his weight to advantage and both Pyne and Wells were unlucky not to score in the second. half. .

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Saturday, October 23rd. 1st XI. V. BEDFORD CATHOLIC CLUB. Home, won, 10-3

Team—Slingsby ; Fallowfield, Hollingshead ; Clitheroe, Fr. Andrew, Guttery; Br. Sebastian, Daly, Wells, Pyne and Fr. John.

Goal Scorers—Fr. John 3, Pyne 3, Daly, 2 Wells 2. The Catholic Club were not at full strength and consequently

the game was very one-sided. Fr. John playing on the left wing scored two very good goals in the first few minutes but then the forwards began to hinder each other and were even lucky to score at times. The second half was played in a continuous downpour. The Club rallied and scored three very good goals but were not able to keep up the pace and we finished comfortable winners. Saturday, October 30th. PAST V. PRESENT. Lost 2-3. Past Team—D. J. Cahill ; S. Roy, M. Hollingshead ; B. R. Hall,

N. Murphy, Br. Anthony ; F. G. Walker, E. T. Yates, P. Fallowfield, E. K. Norgan, L. Lewis.

Present Team—Willcocks ; Fallowfield, Armstrong ; Clitheroe, Fr. Andrew, Guttery ; Br. Sebastian, Daly, Wells, Pyne, Fr. John.

This was by far the best match of the term and the result is a fair reflection of the play. The Past fielded a much stronger team than last year, but positions were changed fairly frequently with the result that combination was limited to two or three players. Murphy, Norgan, and Fallowfield were outstanding in the first half and their individual play enabled the rest of the team to settle down. For, the Present, Fr. Andrew and Fallowfield did good work in the defence and Fr. John, Pyne, and Daly were prominent in the forward line but did not work too well together. Early in the game P. Fallow-field headed a goal from agood pass by Walker. Shortly afterwards Wells shot past Cahill from very close range, making the score equal Yates went in goal in the second half and made two or three spec-tacular saves. Norgan was injured and the Past showed signs of tiring, but although we carried the play more into their half our forwards did not make the most of their chances. Occasionally Cahill and Murphy swept down the field and from one of their raids Walker scored with a fast low shot into the corner of the net. Wells again retaliated and it seemed likely that the game would be left drawn. Towards the end the light became very bad and P. Fallowfield just beat Willcocks with a cleverly lobbed shot, thus giving the victory to the Pat. Saturday, November 6th. 1st XI. v. HITCHIN GRAMMAR SCHOOL.

Away, lost, 1-4. Team—Willcocks ; Fallowfield, Armstrong ; McNicholas, Clitheroe,

Hollingshead ; Pettitt i, Daly, Wells, Pyne, Scally. Goal Scorer--Pyne.

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The Grammar School played better football and with much more combination than our team is ever likely to have. Our wings and wing halves were deplorably weak and without doubt lost us the match. Armstrong played a very good game at back and Fallowfield was unlucky to rick his ankle. Among the forwards, Daly was very neat but took too many shots at goal instead of feed-ing his other forwards. Pyne had to fall back too often to be of much use in scoring and Wells could do nothing against a heavier opponent. November 13th. 1st XI. v. LETCHWORTH BOYS' CLUB. Home;

won 6--4. Team—Willcocks ; Armstrong, Hollingshead ; McNicholas, Fr.

Andrew, Woodward ; Br. Sebastian, Daly, Wells, Fyne, Pettitt.

The game opened out quickly and the College soon had the lead. The visitors fought back and their centre-forward went very near with a neat header. The game tended to be one-sided in the first half hut they started full of resolution and attempt in the second half. They scored two quick goals and were doing a good deal of pressing. Every time they approached the goal they were exceed-ingly dangerous. The College retaliated and made a lead of three goals. This was reduced to two before long and the final whistle blew with the visitors striving hard to reduce our lead. Wednesday, November 17th. 1st XI. v. ALLEYNE'S GRAMMAR

SCHOOL. Home, won 5-4. Team--Slingsby ; Armstrong, Hollingshead ; McNicholas, Clitheroe

Woodward ; Toombs, Daly, Willcocks, Pyne, Pettitt i.

Coal-scorers--Daly 2, Pyne 2, Willcocks.

As was the case last year the game was played in a very strong wind, which proved a very definite factor in each half. The visitors started with the advantage of the wind and scored two quick goals. This rattled our defence at first but Pyne and Daly played very well together and time after time broke through but could not finish strongly enough. In the second half, with the wind to aid us we more or less dominated the play, yet when their forwards did break away they were far more dangerous than ours. Owing to poor shooting and despite some very spirited play on the part of the opponent's centre-half we just managed to win by the odd goal. Wednesday, December 8th. st XI. v. ALLEYNE'S GRAMMAR

SCHOOL. Away, won 2-0.

Team—Slingsby ; Fallowfield, Hollingshead ; Woodward, Clitheroe, Lee ; Willcocks, Daly, Wells, Pyne, Pettitt i.

42 The ground had not recovered from the recent falls of snow

and after twenty minutes play the ball was very difficult to control. In the first half the play was very even and neither side managed to score. Pyne and Daly played some good constructive football and Willcocks was centring well back from the wing. After the interval Wells played well when moved to outside right and gradually we wore down their attack but could only score two goals. Fallowfield and Hollingshead were safe at back and Woodward at right half, was really good both in tackling and feeding his forwards

THE FIRST ELEVEN. B. CLITHEROE. Captain. Has played in all the half back positions

and nearly always with conspicuous success. A hard worker, good tackler, and very useful with his head.

L. FALLOWFIELD. A neat and tenacious full-back, usually sure in his kicking but occasionally apt to be drawn out of position.

F. A. ARMSTRONG. Kicks beautifully with both feet and an ex-cellent full-back.

M. HOLLINGSHEAD. Has been only partially successful in defence chiefly because he will not get on the line of the ball and is usually only half-hearted about his tackling.

D. WOODWARD. After being tried in various positions finally settled down as a wing half where he has given several very encouraging exhibitions.

C. GLITTERY. In the early part of the term played a sound if some-what slow half-back game.

B. WELLS. A hard-working centre-forward with a great deal of courage and enthusiasm but too little ball control and a somewhat erratic shot.

0. PYNE. As an inside forward is worth two men. Falls back and defends well, and yet manages to be up with the attck. A powerful though not always accurate shot, but a poor header.

T. DALY. The " Alex James " of the side. An elusive dribbler he sometimes spoils his work by trying to do too much or by tame shooting.

V. PETTITT. Has played several good games on the left wing where he showed a good turn of speed. Also plays usefully as half-back where he tackles keenly.

P. WILLCOCKS. Began the season as a goalkeeper but has lately more than justified his inclusion in the forward line.

R. SLINGSBY. Has played very successfully in goal, though he occasionally takes risks by fisting away instead of catching the ball. The following have also played : J. MCNICHOLAS, P. SCALLY,

D. TOOMBS. We also thank Fr. Andrew, Fr. John and Br. Sebastian for their assistance.

A. B., B. C., & P.W.