Item 223 - Letter from E. E. Bowen to Sir George Trevelyan

1 letter

The Grove, Harrow: - The enclosed [school reports? no longer present] will show that Georgie has 'done well so far', but that Bobby 'has fairly broken down again'. He 'made good resolutions, & tried fitfully to carry them out, but never thoroughly'. Hallam has described Bobby as 'at best very variable'; he has been 'rather more regular' with Bowen, mostly because Bowen 'made him almost by main force...' In Welldon's Tuesday lesson, Bobby has 'twice badly [construed?]'.

Finally Owen, who is taking Hallam's lessons while Hallam is ill, discovered two days ago that Bobby 'did not know a word of the lesson, & had made no notes of the last one, & was writing a letter; Owen therefore 'sent him up' [to the Headmaster], and Welldon sent him down to the bottom of his form. This will not affect Bobby's progress, as he would not have 'got his remove this time', but it 'is meant to be a slur and a threat together'.

Bobby is 'not the least of a man yet', having no 'real conscience or desire of self control'. Bobby 'isn't bad in a great many ways', partly because of 'house affection', but 'character & grit have yet to come'. Bowen expects they will, but Bobby is currently 'quite a fourth form boy as regards notions of duty & responsibility'. Thinks they 'must be patient & keep him in steady control'; Bobby has 'a good temper, & can bear being kept in order', and the 'social forces' will gradually start to have an effect.

It is 'hard to keep from overrating' Bobby intellectually, and 'one is always tempted to expect too much'. He is 'not a first rate scholar', Bowen doubts whether he is ability is first rate, but is not sure; however, his 'literary ability is so far above the average (together with a good memory) that it impresses [?] upon everyone.' It is 'extraordinary, & a thing not to be cultivated, perhaps,... but to be looked on at'. Wonders whether it would be good to leave off Bobby's Latin verses for half a year, and 'make him learn history or German or something hard'.

Had hoped that Bobby's 'football development' would be good for him, and it was a little, but the good effect 'did not last'.

Several passages underlined, perhaps by Sir George Trevelyan?