(Wheretheprepostorwasparticularinhisablutions，thefagsinhisroomhadtodescendinturntothekitchen，andbegorstealhotwaterforhim；andoftenthecustomextendedfarther，andtwoboyswentdowneverymorningtogetasupplyforthewholeroom。)
“East’sandTadpole’s，“answeredtheseniorfag，whokepttherota。
“Ican’tgo，“saidEast；“I’mdeadlame。“
“Well，bequicksomeofyou，that’sall，“saidthegreatman，asheturnedoutofbed，andputtingonhisslippers，wentoutintothegreatpassage，whichrunsthewholelengthofthebedrooms，togethisSundayhabilimentsoutofhisportmanteau。
“Letmegoforyou，“saidTomtoEast；“Ishouldlikeit。“
“Well，thank’ee，that’sagoodfellow。Justpullonyourtrousers，andtakeyourjugandmine。Tadpolewillshowyoutheway。“
AndsoTomandtheTadpole，innightshirtsandtrousers，startedoffdownstairs，andthrough“Thos’shole，“asthelittlebuttery，wherecandlesandbeerandbreadandcheesewereservedoutatnight，wascalled，acrosstheSchool-housecourt，downalongpassage，andintothekitchen；where，aftersomeparleywiththestalwart，handsomecook，whodeclaredthatshehadfilledadozenjugsalready，theygottheirhotwater，andreturnedwithallspeedandgreatcaution。Asitwas，theynarrowlyescapedcapturebysomeprivateersfromthefifth-formrooms，whowereonthelookoutforthehot-waterconvoys，andpursuedthemuptotheverydooroftheirroom，makingthemspillhalftheirloadinthepassage。
“Betterthangoingdownagainthough，“asTadpoleremarked，“asweshouldhavehadtodoifthosebeggarshadcaughtus。“
Bythetimethatthecalling-overbellrang，Tomandhisnewcomradeswerealldown，dressedintheirbestclothes，andhehadthesatisfactionofanswering“here“tohisnameforthefirsttime，theprepostoroftheweekhavingputitinatthebottomofhislist。AndthencamebreakfastandasaunteraboutthecloseandtownwithEast，whoselamenessonlybecameseverewhenanyfagginghadtobedone。Andsotheywhiledawaythetimeuntilmorningchapel。
ItwasafineNovembermorning，andtheclosesoonbecamealivewithboysofallages，whosaunteredaboutonthegrass，orwalkedroundthegravelwalk，inpartiesoftwoorthree。East，stilldoingthecicerone，pointedoutalltheremarkablecharacterstoTomastheypassed:Osbert，whocouldthrowacricket-ballfromthelittle-sidegroundovertherook-treestotheDoctor’swall；Gray，whohadgottheBalliolscholarship，and，whatEastevidentlythoughtofmuchmoreimportance，ahalf-holidayfortheSchoolbyhissuccess；Thorne，whohadruntenmilesintwominutesoverthehour；Black，whohadheldhisownagainstthecockofthetowninthelastrowwiththelouts；
andmanymoreheroes，whothenandtherewalkedaboutandwereworshipped，alltraceofwhomhaslongsincevanishedfromthesceneoftheirfame。Andthefourth-formboywhoreadstheirnamesrudelycutontheoldhalltables，orpainteduponthebig-sidecupboard(ifhalltablesandbig-sidecupboardsstillexist)，wonderswhatmannerofboystheywere。Itwillbethesamewithyouwhowonder，mysons，whateveryourprowessmaybeincricket，orscholarship，orfootball。Twoorthreeyears，moreorless，andthenthesteadilyadvancing，blessedwavewillpassoveryournamesasithaspassedoverours。Nevertheless，playyourgamesanddoyourworkmanfully——seeonlythatthatbedone——andlettheremembranceofittakecareofitself。
Thechapel-bellbegantoringataquartertoeleven，andTomgotinearlyandtookhisplaceinthelowestrow，andwatchedalltheotherboyscomeinandtaketheirplaces，fillingrowafterrow；andtriedtoconstruetheGreektextwhichwasinscribedoverthedoorwiththeslightestpossiblesuccess，andwonderedwhichofthemasters，whowalkeddownthechapelandtooktheirseatsintheexaltedboxesattheend，wouldbehislord。Andthencametheclosingofthedoors，andtheDoctorinhisrobes，andtheservice，which，however，didn’timpresshimmuch，forhisfeelingofwonderandcuriositywastoostrong。
Andtheboyononesideofhimwasscratchinghisnameontheoakpanellinginfront，andhecouldn’thelpwatchingtoseewhatthenamewas，andwhetheritwaswellscratched；andtheboyontheothersidewenttosleep，andkeptfallingagainsthim；andonthewhole，thoughmanyboyseveninthatpartoftheschoolwereseriousandattentive，thegeneralatmospherewasbynomeansdevotional；andwhenhegotoutintothecloseagain，hedidn’tfeelatallcomfortable，orasifhehadbeentochurch。
Butatafternoonchapelitwasquiteanotherthing。Hehadspentthetimeafterdinnerinwritinghometohismother，andsowasinabetterframeofmind；andhisfirstcuriositywasover，andhecouldattendmoretotheservice。Asthehymnaftertheprayerswasbeingsung，andthechapelwasgettingalittledark，hewasbeginningtofeelthathehadbeenreallyworshipping。Andthencamethatgreateventinhis，asineveryRugbyboy’slifeofthatday——thefirstsermonfromtheDoctor。
Moreworthypensthanminehavedescribedthatscene——theoakpulpitstandingoutbyitselfabovetheSchoolseats；thetall，gallantform，thekindlingeye，thevoice，nowsoftasthelownotesofaflute，nowclearandstirringasthecallofthelight-infantrybugle，ofhimwhostoodthereSundayafterSunday，witnessingandpleadingforhisLord，theKingofrighteousnessandloveandglory，withwhoseSpirithewasfilled，andinwhosepowerhespoke；thelonglinesofyoungfaces，risingtierabovetierdownthewholelengthofthechapel，fromthelittleboy’swhohadjustlefthismothertotheyoungman’swhowasgoingoutnextweekintothegreatworld，rejoicinginhisstrength。Itwasagreatandsolemnsight，andnevermoresothanatthistimeofyear，whentheonlylightsinthechapelwereinthepulpitandattheseatsoftheprepostorsoftheweek，andthesofttwilightstoleovertherestofthechapel，deepeningintodarknessinthehighgallerybehindtheorgan。
Butwhatwasit，afterall，whichseizedandheldthesethreehundredboys，draggingthemoutofthemselves，willingorunwilling，fortwentyminutes，onSundayafternoons？True，therealwayswereboysscatteredupanddowntheSchool，whoinheartandheadwereworthytohearandabletocarryawaythedeepestandwisestwordstherespoken。Butthesewereaminorityalways，generallyaverysmallone，oftensosmallaoneastobecountableonthefingersofyourhand。Whatwasitthatmovedandheldus，therestofthethreehundredreckless，childishboys，whofearedtheDoctorwithallourhearts，andverylittlebesidesinheavenorearth；whothoughtmoreofoursetsintheSchoolthanoftheChurchofChrist，andputthetraditionsofRugbyandthepublicopinionofboysinourdailylifeabovethelawsofGod？Wecouldn’tenterintohalfthatweheard；wehadn’ttheknowledgeofourownheartsortheknowledgeofoneanother，andlittleenoughofthefaith，hope，andloveneededtothatend。Butwelistened，asallboysintheirbettermoodswilllisten(ay，andmentooforthematterofthat)，toamanwhomwefelttobe，withallhisheartandsoulandstrength，strivingagainstwhateverwasmeanandunmanlyandunrighteousinourlittleworld。Itwasnotthecold，clearvoiceofonegivingadviceandwarningfromsereneheightstothosewhowerestrugglingandsinningbelow，butthewarm，livingvoiceofonewhowasfightingforusandbyoursides，andcallingonustohelphimandourselvesandoneanother。Andso，wearilyandlittlebylittle，butsurelyandsteadilyonthewhole，wasbroughthometotheyoungboy，forthefirsttime，themeaningofhislife——thatitwasnofool’sorsluggard’sparadiseintowhichhehadwanderedbychance，butabattlefieldordainedfromofold，wheretherearenospectators，buttheyoungestmusttakehisside，andthestakesarelifeanddeath。Andhewhorousedthisconsciousnessinthemshowedthematthesametime，byeverywordhespokeinthepulpit，andbyhiswholedailylife，howthatbattlewastobefought，andstoodtherebeforethemtheirfellow-soldierandthecaptainoftheirband——thetruesortofcaptain，too，foraboy’sarmy——onewhohadnomisgivings，andgavenouncertainwordofcommand，and，letwhowouldyieldormaketruce，wouldfightthefightout(soeveryboyfelt)tothelastgaspandthelastdropofblood。Othersidesofhischaractermighttakeholdofandinfluenceboyshereandthere；butitwasthisthoroughnessandundauntedcouragewhich，morethananythingelse，wonhiswaytotheheartsofthegreatmassofthoseonwhomhelefthismark，andmadethembelievefirstinhimandtheninhisMaster。
Itwasthisqualityaboveallotherswhichmovedsuchboysasourhero，whohadnothingwhateverremarkableabouthimexceptexcessofboyishness——bywhichImeananimallifeinitsfullestmeasure，goodnatureandhonestimpulses，hatredofinjusticeandmeanness，andthoughtlessnessenoughtosinkathree-decker。Andso，duringthenexttwoyears，inwhichitwasmorethandoubtfulwhetherhewouldgetgoodorevilfromtheSchool，andbeforeanysteadypurposeorprinciplegrewupinhim，whateverhisweek’ssinsandshortcomingsmighthavebeen，hehardlyeverleftthechapelonSundayeveningswithoutaseriousresolvetostandbyandfollowtheDoctor，andafeelingthatitwasonlycowardice(theincarnationofallothersinsinsuchaboy’smind)whichhinderedhimfromdoingsowithallhisheart。
ThenextdayTomwasdulyplacedinthethirdform，andbeganhislessonsinacornerofthebigSchool。Hefoundtheworkveryeasy，ashehadbeenwellgrounded，andknewhisgrammarbyheart；and，ashehadnointimatecompanionstomakehimidle(EastandhisotherSchool-housefriendsbeinginthelowerfourth，theformabovehim)，soongainedgoldenopinionsfromhismaster，whosaidhewasplacedtoolow，andshouldbeputoutattheendofthehalf-year。SoallwentwellwithhiminSchool，andhewrotethemostflourishinglettershometohismother，fullofhisownsuccessandtheunspeakabledelightsofapublicschool。
Inthehouse，too，allwentwell。Theendofthehalf-yearwasdrawingnear，whichkepteverybodyinagoodhumour，andthehousewasruledwellandstronglybyWarnerandBrooke。True，thegeneralsystemwasroughandhard，andtherewasbullyinginnooksandcorners——badsignsforthefuture；butitnevergotfarther，ordaredshowitselfopenly，stalkingaboutthepassagesandhallandbedrooms，andmakingthelifeofthesmallboysacontinualfear。
Tom，asanewboy，wasofrightexcusedfaggingforthefirstmonth，butinhisenthusiasmforhisnewlifethisprivilegehardlypleasedhim；andEastandothersofhisyoungfriends，discoveringthis，kindlyallowedhimtoindulgehisfancy，andtaketheirturnsatnightfaggingandcleaningstudies。Theseweretheprincipaldutiesofthefagsinthehouse。Fromsupperuntilnineo’clockthreefagstakeninorderstoodinthepassages，andansweredanyprepostorwhocalled“Fag，“racingtothedoor，thelastcomerhavingtodothework。Thisconsistedgenerallyofgoingtothebutteryforbeerandbreadandcheese(forthegreatmendidnotsupwiththerest，buthadeachhisownallowanceinhisstudyorthefifth-formroom)，cleaningcandlesticksandputtinginnewcandles，toastingcheese，bottlingbeer，andcarryingmessagesaboutthehouse；andTom，inthefirstblushofhishero-worship，feltitahighprivilegetoreceiveordersfromandbethebearerofthesupperofoldBrooke。Andbesidesthisnight-work，eachprepostorhadthreeorfourfagsspeciallyallottedtohim，ofwhomhewassupposedtobetheguide，philosopher，andfriend，andwhoinreturnforthesegoodofficeshadtocleanouthisstudyeverymorningbyturns，directlyafterfirstlessonandbeforehereturnedfrombreakfast。Andthepleasureofseeingthegreatmen’sstudies，andlookingattheirpictures，andpeepingintotheirbooks，madeTomareadysubstituteforanyboywhowastoolazytodohisownwork。Andsohesoongainedthecharacterofagood-
natured，willingfellow，whowasreadytodoaturnforanyone。
Inallthegames，too，hejoinedwithallhisheart，andsoonbecamewellversedinallthemysteriesoffootball，bycontinualpracticeattheSchool-houselittle-side，whichplayeddaily。
