第7部分(第5/7 頁)

l　prize　to　the　boy　who　could　write　the　best　descriptive　essay　on　any　subject　that　he　might　select。　I　chose　that　of　an　operation　in　a　hospital。　I　had　never　been　in　a　hospital　or　seen　an　operation；　so　any　information　I　had　upon　the　matter　must　have　e　from　reading。　Still　I　beat　all　the　other　essayists　hollow　and　won　the　prize。　This；　as　it　chanced；　I　never　received；　for　when　I　returned　to　school　after　the　holidays；　Mr。　Saunderson　had　forgotten　all　about　the　matter；　and　I　did　not　like　to　remind　him　of　it。

I　took　my　part　in　the　school　games　and　was　elected　captain　of　the　second　football　team；　but　did　not　stay　long　enough　at　Ipswich　to　get　into　the　first。　Not　much　more　returns　to　me　about　this　period　of　my　life　that　is　worthy　of　record。　Although　I　believe　that　I　was　popular　among　my　schoolmates；　who　showed　their　affection　by　naming　me　“Nosey”　in　allusion　to　the　prominence　of　that　organ　on　my　undeveloped　face；　I　did　not　care　for　school；　and　found　it　monotonous；　with　the　result　that　my　memories　concerning　it　are　somewhat　of　a　blur。

I　know　of　no　more　melancholy　experience　than　to　return　to　such　a　place　after　the　lapse　of　forty　years　or　more；　and　look　on　the　old　familiar　things　and　find　moving　among　them　scarcely　a　living　creature　whom　we　knew。　I　remember　telling　my　audience　on　the　occasion　to　which　I　have　alluded　above；　that　to　me　the　room　seemed　to　be　full　of　ghosts。　Some　of　the　boys　laughed；　for　they　thought　that　I　was　joking；　but　a　day　may　e；　say　towards　the　year　1950；　when　they　too　will　return　and　stand　as　I　did　surveying　an　utterly　alien　crowd；　and　then；　perhaps；　they　will　remember　my　words　and　understand　their　meaning。　Some　tradition　of　me　remained　in　the　place；　for　one　of　the　elder　boys　took　me　to　the　room　that　was　my　study　and　showed　me　the　first　two　initial