stitution has been weakened by a hard life, it is more easily restored if the recruit joins at 18 than if he put off enlisting till 20. To count, however, a lad under 20 as an effective soldier, and to rely on him as such is to deliberately dwell in a fool's paradise. It has been more than once suggested that boys should be entered and trained for the army as well as for the navy. It has answered very well in the sister service, and there is every reason to suppose that we should meet with equal success in the army. The Duke of Cambridge has expressed his approval of the scheme, which would greatly facilitate recruiting, but he stipulated that these boys should be in addition to the present establishment. To that stipulation the Minister of War at the time being-I think it was Lord Cardwell— objected on the score of expense. I fancy, though, that experience would show that there would eventually be no increase to the Army Estimates, for great savings would be effected under the head of imes, punishment, hospitals, and invaliding. By the institution falet schools, or by largely expanding the Duke of York's and Kirinham schools, we should form an admirable body of non-commissoned officers, the crying need of the present day.

Formerly we took our recruits as young as now, but under the ng-service system they dribbled in, whereas now they come in by hoals. Then the young soldier was absorbed and assimilated, and kept in order by the old soldiers who formed the majority, the men under two years' service bearing a very small proportion to those above six. Now the recruits of two years' service and under often outnumber the whole of the remaining men in a regiment, and the soldiers of over six years' service constitute but an insignificant minority. Half-a-dozen lads in a company did not practically affect efficiency. Now a company is, roughly speaking, entirely made of lads. Not only does the physical efficiency of the whole suffer Serefrom, but discipline is seriously injured. The old soldiers who merly kept the youngsters in order in the barrack room are now few in number to be able to exercise any authority. The nonmmissioned officers, themselves, mere boys and little more than fruits, are deficient in experience, prestige, and tact, and possess te moral weight. Worst of all, however, the regiment is wanting, a whole, in that higher discipline, that military instinct, which e can avert disaster under critical circumstances.

Our boy soldiers, though plucky enough, have not that staunchness,
ution, confidence in themselves, their comrades, and their officers,
ich has in old days so often prevented a retreat from being con-
d into a rout, and turned a defeat into a victory. Could our
ers of to-day be rallied promptly? I doubt it. Formerly, they
itively advanced at the order of their well-known officers, and
when the officers were killed or wounded, our men had such
fence in themselves and their comrades, so strong an esprit

THE

a.

NINETEENTH

CENTURY

A MONTHLY REVIEW

EDITED BY JAMES KNOWLES

VOL. VI.

JULY-DECEMBER 1879

LONDON

C. KEGAN PAUL & CO., 1 PATERNOSTER SQUARE

(The rights of translation and of reproduction are reserved)

CONTENTS OF VOL. VI.

PAGE

BOY SOLDIERS. By Lieutenant-Colonel W. W. Knollys
OUR NEW WHEAT-FIELDS IN THE NORTH-WEST. By T. T. Vernon
Smith

THE EDUCATION QUESTION IN FRANCE. By the Abbé Martin
MOOSE-HUNTING IN CANADA. By the Right Hon. the Earl of Dunraven
APOLOGY FOR DOUBT IN THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND. By Orby
Shipley, M.A.

'A SUGGESTION AS TO HOME RULE. By Sir Frederick William Heygate, Bart.

FOOD AND FEEDING (concluded). By Sir Henry Thompson.
NOTES BY THE WAY IN INDIA: THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE. By
James Caird, C.B., F.R.S.

119, 244, 529, 705 THE REPRESENTATION OF MINORITIES. By Leonard Courtney, M.P.. GENERIC IMAGES. By Francis Galton, F.R.S.

HOW NOT TO RETAIN THE COLONIES. By the Right Hon. Lord Norton
A FEW WORDS IN REPLY TO MR. LOWE. By Alfred R. Wallace
THE COMÉDIE FRANÇAISE. By Francisque Sarcey

THE COUNTRY AND THE GOVERNMENT. By the Right Hon. W. E.
Gladstone, M.P..

THE FRENCH PLAY IN LONDON. By Matthew Arnold
SOUTH AFRICAN POLICY. By the Right Hon. Lord Blachford

157

170

179

182

201

228

264

THE HISTORY OF THE EVANGELICAL MOVEMENT. By W. E. H. Lecky 280 THE WAGES FUND.' By W. T. Thornton

PERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS OF WOMEN'S EDUCATION. By Lady
Stanley of Alderley

AN IRISH IGNIS FATUUS. By Edward D. J. Wilson .

MR. WHISTLER'S Theories and Mr. WHISTLER'S ART. By Frederick
Wedmore

308.

322

334

THE BRITISH ARMY. By Lieutenant-General Sir John Adye, K.C.B. 344
THE UNION OF THE LIBERAL PARTY. By the Rev. J. Guinness Rogers 361
THE RESULTS OF THE AFGHAN WAR. By Major-General Sir Henry
C. Rawlinson

RECREATION. By George J. Romanes.

A DIALOGUE ON HUMAN HAPPINESS. By W. H. Mallock
CLERICAL EDUCATION IN FRANCE. By Edmond About
CHARLES TENNYSON TURNER. By James Spedding