He was one of the miserable little pretty
white-handed, curly-headed boys, petted and pampered by some of the big
fellows, who wrote their verses for them, taught them to drink and use
bad language, and did all they could to spoil them for everything *
in this world and the next. One of the avocations in which these young
gentlemen took particular delight was in going about and getting fags
for their protectors, when those heroes were playing any game. They
carried about pencil and paper with them, putting down the names of all
the boys they sent, always sending five times as many as were wanted,
and getting all those thrashed who didn't go. The present youth belonged
to a house which was very jealous of the School-house, and always picked
out School-house fags when he could find them. However, this time he'd
got the wrong sow by the ear. His captors slammed the great door of the
hall, and East put his back against it, while Tom gave the prisoner a
shake up, took away his list, and stood him up on the floor, while he
proceeded leisurely to examine that document.
* A kind and wise critic, an old Rugboean, notes here in the
margin: "The small friend system was not so utterly bad from
1841-1847." Before that, too, there were many noble
friendships between big and little boys; but I can't strike
out the passage. Many boys will know why it is left in.
Pages:
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253