It was written by him at the age of eight and reads:

I will have the poor people to be as rich as we are, and they ought by rights to be as happy as we are, and all who go across the crossings shall give the poor crossing sweepers some money and you ought to thank God for what He has given us and He has made the poor people to be poor and the rich people to be rich and I can tell you how to be good, now l will tell it to you. You must pray to God when ever you can but you cannot be good with only praying but you must try very hard to be good.
by
R.S.S. Powell (This is carefully written in text)
February 26th, 1865
Robert Stephenson Smyth Powell (This is written below in longhand)

B-P's father died when he was only three, leaving his mother with seven boys and girls to bring up.
She was a wonderful woman who had a great and lasting influence on her children. Most of B-P's schooling came from her.
You will see that even at the early age of eight he was thinking unselfishly about others.
At this time B-P was known as "Ste" - a shortened form of Stephenson. You will see from his signature that the "Baden" has still not been added to the family name.

Source "The Scout", Date unknown.

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