Life of Frederick Courtenay Selous, D.S.O., Capt. 25th Royal Fusiliers (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER II 1865-1870 WHEN the time came for Fred to go to Rugby both Mr. Darnell and Mr. Hill advised Mr. Wilson, to whose house it was proposed to send him, not on any account to have a boy whose escapades would be a constant source of trouble, but fortunately Mr. Wilson liked' naughty ' boys and disregarded their warnings. Selous entered Rugby in January, 1866, and was a pupil in Mr. Wilson's house for two years. His letters to his mother at this period are of the usual schoolboy type, mostly requests for money, books or additions to the commissariat. He was always reading when he got the chance, the choice invariably tending towards travel and adventure. He writes: ? January, 1866. I am reading a new book by Mr. Livingstone. It is called ' The Zambesi and its Tributaries, ' from 1858-1864. It is very interesting and is about the discovery of two large lakes. Send me two catapults. And I am sorry to hear the rat skins are eaten, but very glad that the stoat's has not met with the same fate. Another letter shows his consideration for his parents in the matter of money and is somewhat characteristic. My Dear Mama, I hope you are quite well, I am now at Rugby and very comfortable. I have a study with another boy, and we have an allowance of candles and tea and sugar, etc., given out every week, and we make our own tea and breakfast in our studies and it is very nice indeed. I have passedinto Upper Middle two when Lower Middle two would have done. I have to pay over some subscriptions. 1 subscription to the racket court. 1ds. to football club, 10s. to cricket club, 1ds. for our own house subscription, all of which I am forced to pay. I have to buy a great many things which I could not help and I have spent a lot of my money on them. I will wri...