22 FEBRUARY 1913, Page 19

EXUBERANCE OF LANGUAGE.

[To THE EDITOR OP THE "SPECTATOR."] SIR,—In reply to your comment on my letter headed "A Mild Remonstrance," which appeared in your last issue, will you allow me to say that I withdraw the exaberant expression in the last sentence P I would wish to sub- stitute " One thing they (the public schools) scorn is anonymous attack." I own that I have been irritated by the frequent attacks on public schools which have appeared recently in several newspapers. These attacks—most of them unmerited—have been invariably anonymous. I apologize to your reviewer if by my words I have wounded his feelings; his statements are mild when compared with some of those I have come across. Cumulative pinpricks are apt to provoke mild (?) remonstrance. As to the words now withdrawn, they never were meant to be taken too seriously, witness the heading of the letter and allusion to " my tail "; nevertheless, I regret that they were used.—I am, Sir, &c., R. G-. DURRANT.