There is a saying of King Alfred’s that I like to apply to our school,–“I have found a door,” he says. That is just what I hope your school is to you–a door opening into a great palace of art and knowledge in which there are many chambers all opening into gardens or field paths, forest or hills.

One chamber, entered through a beautiful Gothic archway, is labeled Bible Knowledge, and there the scholar finds goodness as well as knowledge, as indeed he does in many others of the fair chambers. You see that doorway with much curious lettering? History is within, and that is, I think, an especially delightful chamber. But it would take too long to investigate all these pleasant places and indeed you could label a good many of the doorways from the headings of your term’s programme.

But you will remember that the school is only a “Door” to let you in to the goodly House of Knowledge, but I hope you will go in and out and live there all your lives–in one pleasant chamber and another; for the really rich people are they who have the entry to this goodly House, and who never let King Alfred’s ‘Door’ rust on its hinges, no, not all through their lives, even when they are very old people.

I have a great hope for all you dear scholars of the P.U.S.; other people will be a little the better because you love knowledge, and have learnt to think fair, just thoughts about things, and to seek first the Kingdom of Heaven in which is all that is beautiful, good and happy-making. I must not take up any more of the time in which there are so many things to be done, so, wish you the very happiest week in all your happy lives.

Charlotte Mason as recorded in In Memoriam (pp 115-116)