My grandfather worked very hard all his life, and was making money all
the time until he became a bishop. I have worked very hard all my life,
but have never been able to earn money. As usefulness is generally
counted, no one can be more useless. This I believe to be largely due to
the public-school and university teaching through which my grandfather
made his money. Yes, but then if he is largely responsible for that
which has made me useless, has he not also left me the hardly-won money
which makes my uselessness sufficiently agreeable to myself? And would
not the poor old gentleman gladly change lots with me, if he could?
I do not know; but I should be sorry to change lots with him or with any
one else, so I need not grumble. I said in _Luck or Cunning_? that the
only way (at least I think I said so) in which a teacher can thoroughly
imbue an unwilling learner with his own opinions is for the teacher to
eat the pupil up and thus assimilate him—if he can, for it is possible
that the pupil may continue to disagree with the teacher. And as a
matter of fact, school-masters do live upon their pupils, and I, as my
grandfather’s grandson, continue to batten upon old pupil.