Happy as he obviously is in his own school life, it would add nothing to the happiness of the Utopian to feel that he had outstripped his class-mates and won a prize for his achievement.

So far, indeed, are these children from wishing to shine at the expense of others, that if they think Egeria has done less than justice to the work of some one child, the rest of the class will go out of their way to call her attention to it.

If some children are brighter, cleverer, and more advanced than others, the reward of their progress is that they are allowed to help on those who lag behind.

This is especially noticeable in Drawing, in which the pre-eminence of one or two children has again and again had the effect of lifting the work of the whole class to a higher level.

But the laggards are as far from being discouraged by their failure as are the more advanced scholars from being puffed up by their success.