Thomas Chatterton, the marvelous boy; the story of a strange life 1752-1770 . he poor in thosedays the path was hard and usually led one one born in poverty achieved by pro-digious endeavor some eminence, but the instanceswere dismally few. Such an exception, conspicuousin Bristol not long before, was still well Colston, who, beginning obscurely, had madefame and fortune as a merchant, was a liberal bene-factor of his native city and some of his philanthropyhad naturally followed the suggestion of his ownascent. That is to say, he had founded in 1708 acharity
Thomas Chatterton, the marvelous boy; the story of a strange life 1752-1770 . he poor in thosedays the path was hard and usually led one one born in poverty achieved by pro-digious endeavor some eminence, but the instanceswere dismally few. Such an exception, conspicuousin Bristol not long before, was still well Colston, who, beginning obscurely, had madefame and fortune as a merchant, was a liberal bene-factor of his native city and some of his philanthropyhad naturally followed the suggestion of his ownascent. That is to say, he had founded in 1708 acharity school wherein one hundred poor boys wereto be trained for mercantile careers. To maketheir election sure they were to be provided for inevery way, with lodging, clothing, food, as well astuition. But the number was strictly limited, thepressure for admission very great, and the widowChatterton must have felt overjoyed and thankfulwhen, a vacancy occurring at Colstons, the inter-cession of friends and her own endeavors won theplace for her boy when he was eight years DREAMS AND REALITIES 31 At that time and for many years afterward therewas in England no such institution as we shouldcall a public school, and the generality of poorchildren got their smattering of knowledge in theprivate schools founded by the philanthropic,or in schools maintained in some instances bythe parishes, or went without, as fate and chancemight direct. In other words, the rich fared wellenough, the poor shifted for themselves and for mostpart ill, for it was an ignorant age. Charity schoolslike Colstons were benevolent in design and oppres-sive in practise. The prevailing theory seemed to bethat the schools were mills and the children thereinraw material of an inferior nature sent upon theteachers for their sins, to be ground and hammeredand beaten into shape. At Colstons the knowledgedeemed essential for a mercantile career was putinto the boys heads by the genial method of brad-awl and hammer.
Size: 1405px × 1778px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectchatter, bookyear1908
