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Otago Witness, Issue 2412, 24 May 1900, Page 27

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the fields for butterflies. They loved the open, ' and they loved everything that had life. They <33ch had auy number ,of pets, which they , tended, with exemplary care, but their interest exteiifle'd ,to every creature that moved 'about the meadows and copses of the country ; everything that suggested mystery and ro- ] manc.e. j 8.-PS BOYHOOD. j Baden-Powell was blessed with the sweetest ' of tempers and perfect self-control. Until, 11 years of age lie was educated at; home, and his tutor became Jhis slave. He is described as " the most gentle and placid of pupils, full of industry and eagerness to learn." Everybody loved him, and, therefore, -with all his industry and placidity, he was nothing of a prig, fn passing, I- may mention that an officer who. served with him in ail parts of the world, said to me the other day : " Baden-Powell is a man without a vice of any kind." After this home learning, he was sent to a preparatory school, and of this period of his Me it is enough to say that the head master told his people how gladly lie would keep hi n at that school without fee of any krnd,because his example and moral courage had done so much for the character and tone of the establishment. But it is necessary to repeat that 8.-P. was nothing of the good-little-boy-■who-ought-to-have-died. While he had a wholesome contempt for any meanness and all forms of vice, he was, be it xemembered, the " funny man" of his schoolj 'and the clown of his family. In his holidays 'he would study history and geography zealously, but not with greater zeal than 1 he would compose the most ■ - original farces for performance by his admiring brothers and sister. At this age he developed a remarkable talent for drawing. His sketches won the admiration of Ruakin, who • once sat by the youngster's side, and, Avith a j piece of paper on top of his hat, painted a \ vase with 'Master 8.-P.'s penny box of paints. Ruskin was one of those who urged -Mrs Baden-P-owell not to interfere with 8.-P.'s habit of drawing with 1 his left hand. The result of this is that -B.y?. can now make a sketch with his left hand and shade it in at the same time with his right. All his letters are written with his left 'hand. ' ; In 1870 lie was nominated by the Duke of Marlborough for Charterhouse, and entered j that historic school by a low form. However, ; he rose more rapidly, and in 1874 was in the ; Sixth, the life of the school, and a favourite equally with masters and boys. He was famous a mimic, a caricaturist, and for his irrepres- , ■sible spirits. He was full of fun, and warm- ; hearted. "He was just the kind of boy," one ■ of the house masters told me, " of whom there i ■ would be few anecdotes to record; he was as far as possible from the Stalky type." Some years after he had left school, Baden-Powell happened to visit Charterhouse on the evening ■ of an entertainment. The funny man failed • to turn up. and 8.-P. was pressed into, service. ' Among his performances he described an "At home," to which he had been in London, and where he found himself announced as Mr Bread-and-Fowl. He told how he picked out | the only respectable man present as his host, shook hands with him, and found it was the butler. The recital of that adventure, with innumerable comic details, lives in Charter- ' house to this day, and the funny man who did not turn up i% forgiven. After leaving school in May, 1876, it was settled that he should go to Oxford for two years, and Dean Liddell arranged about rooms for him in Christ Church. But, in the meantime, an army examination happened to come on, and, in order to gain experience, 8.-P. went up for it, " just for fun," and passed second out of 718 candidates. In September of the same year he joined the ISth Hussars in India as sub-lieutenant. J