A PARABLE FOR PACIFICISTS.
CTo sae Servos or me " Sezerstos."1
Ste,--Just fifty-five years ago, organised pugilism was one •of the sports practised in a certain great Public School. The masters, of course, knew of its existence, but thought it best to leave the boys to work out their own salvation. Many boys who were quite willing to fight on due occasion strongly objected "on principle" to being made to fight, and finally a number of these resolved to stop pugilism by the only practical means—by force. They announced that they would give a sound licking to any boy who took a part in, or even looked on at, a deliberately organized fight. But there were a few boys who were so conscientiously opposed to all fighting—very pious boys some of them—that they refused even to fight against fighting, though they were perfectly aware that if the movement against pugilism failed they would have to fight to please the bullies of the school. What was to be done with these conscientious few ? It was decided to leave them severely alone, to let them "pass by on the other side." Some repented and joined the active Pacifieists, realizing that those who were not actively against the pugilists were practically their allies. Finally, the anti-pugilists (it took three or four years) won, and " fagging " boys to fight ceased to be regarded as one of the recognised sports of a school of young English gentlemen. The pugilists worked off their superfluous pugnacity in football and other games. The passive Pacificists were ignored by their own generation and were recognized by the masters as poor creatures, victims of mere logical arguments, such as any intelligent boy can invent, for shirking duty. The active Pacificists, the fighters, won a memorable victory, of which their school will be proud es long as British schools ensure. Sic amazes catulos similes, sic matribus halides noram, sic parole componere magna solebam !—
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