Page:First Annual Report of the Woodbury Hill Reformatory.djvu/10

 the dislike of the Reformatory, at the time the boy does run away, it does not even mark such thorough dislike of it as might be supposed. It is often repented of even whilst being committed. This we learn subsequently. Any whim, any little discomfort, will set boys off, or trying to be off. Town alley-bred boys used to close atmosphere, will run away from the mere bracing air and exposure of field-working. This and a sense that they are not stuffed to repletion —caused I believe most of our attempts to escape. The sense that they have not their liberty—that from morning to night they do another's bidding, however kindly imposed, operates very strongly also, and seemingly never is lost. Even the best boys, and those who most cheerfully and intelligently acquiesce in the system, do look forward to their release, always using any opportunity of greater confidence or more free communication, to enquire about and urge it. "But I should like to see that dear old Brum."—ends all admission of the comparative peace, happiness, freedom from temptation, &c., of their present life.

Running away then is nothing but the working out of this feeling under any extraordinary provocation, and though of course if successfully pursued to any great extent, it would witness against the vigilance and management of the institution, the attempts, or even the escape altogether of some boys, are only the percentage of risk paid for the use of moral instead of absolutely coercive means; and whilst of course that percentage should be reduced, by all possible care, to a minimum—moral means—that is the general tone of the school, will be the best security. With the school overflowing, and opportunity thereby necessarily increased—we have not had a whisper of the thing for the last four months; the tone of the school having grown up during the year and being now fairly established. Still attempts at escape there always will be, if the regulations for the open hopeful temper of the society are what they should be. Nothing is a better test of the state of a school, nor in our case more encouraging, than the mind of the school generally under such attempt. The feeling of the mass was always with the authorities and against the runaway, the recapture was hailed by those at home as a personal victory.

The cases of the boys discharged as unfit to be retained were as follows:—one was committed to us without, as the Act provides, the Reformatory being consulted. Nevertheless to prevent his necessary immediate discharge he was admitted. He turned out to be, 18 years old or upwards, and therefore not properly coming under 17 and 18 Vic. at all, and after keeping him three months and proving his entire unfitness to be the associate of younger boys—he was discharged on my petition by order of the Home Office.