Those who took part in that strange camping out of the School in 1876 and 1877 will be glad to be reminded of their experiences now they are over. And perhaps the School at Uppingham, in years to come, may like to have some hint, however imperfect, of that medley of ruin and safety, fear and fun, which passed from risk and danger, which seemed almost impossible to be faced, to a happy ending.
The School-house,
Uppingham,
August, 1880.
TO
Mr. T. H. BIRLEY and Mr. W. T. JACOB,
THE TWO SCHOOL TRUSTEES WITHOUT WHOSE HELP THE SCHOOL WOULD HAVE BEEN LOST;
TO
Sir PRYSE PRYSE, Bart.,
AND THE KINDLY WELSH PEOPLE, WHO MADE SAFETY POSSIBLE AND SUCCESSFUL;
TO
THE PARENTS,
WHO TRUSTED THE SCHOOL, AND SENT IN FULL NUMBERS ON THE EVENTFUL NIGHT OF
April 4, 1876;
TO
ALL FAITHFUL COLLEAGUES,
WHO DID TRUE WORK THROUGH THOSE DANGEROUS AND ANXIOUS MONTHS,
THIS MEMORIAL OF A COMMON CAUSE IS DEDICATED BY
THE AUTHOR.
O swallow, with resistless wing, that hold’st the air in fee,
O swallow, with thy joyous sweep o’er earth and sunlit sea,
O swallow, who, if night were thine, would’st wheel amongst the stars,
Why linger round the eaves?
Unhappy! free of all the world hast knit thy soul to clay?
And glued thy heart up on the wall, thou swiftest child of day?
Claim, glorious wing, thy heritage; break, break thy prison bars,
Nor linger round the eaves.
Sweep, glorious wings, adown the wind; fly, swallow, to the west;