ABSTRACT
In the autumn of 1896, Professor Rein, who had been lecturing at Cambridge and Edinburgh, paid the school a short visit. The weather behaved ill, for it poured almost every day, and the School was not seen to the best advantage. Our guest, however, after his exertions, was glad of the enforced repose, and was not sorry to find that, owing also to the weather, our party was small, the only guest besides himself and Mrs. Rein being Madame Michaelis, of the Frobel Institute. It was during this visit that we heard again of Dr. Lietz. In explaining to Professor Rein our plans for the development of the School, we had deplored the fact that it was impossible to find in England adequate teachers. High salaries might attract the merely clever man, but we knew the type. Such men arrive in meek disguise, but, once installed, are apt to impair the harmony of the place. And in a school of this character, which is also a home, it was far more important to have a simple, honest man, even if not deeply erudite, than an intriguing marchand de soupe, who might be clever at getting himself on, but who would do no real service for the boys or for the School, even if he failed to turn it upside down. We wanted, moreover, what Germany can produce, a trained teacher, and so we pressed our guest to help us.
