, 1877-03-03

OlIi II q Il u oA OI0 RCIGACOaIa LNO
wonder that on this occasion he returned
from his wanderings with such a chill that
he caught a fever, in which he hung for
some time between life and death. While
in this peril his parents seem to have been
really kind to him, but when he recovered
he took to his old ways, one of his princi-
pal feats consisting in bringing home a
wasps' nest wrapped up in bis shirt, which
his parents could only render harmless to
the rest OF the family by plungios into
boiling water. All this ~happeuel when
Thomas was not five years old. Between
four and five he was sent to school princi-
pa1ly that he might be kept out Of hatnl's
way, but the confinement of education
did not at all suit his tastes. He was a aoro
trial to his teachers, partly by constantly
playing the %truant, but still more by briag-
Ing his =" beasts " into school. Fr0m'Ais
first school he was sent away in disggace
because he brought a jackdaw With hip,
which began to "caw - at prayers FROM
his second, where he had full experience Of
the "tawS," he was expelled because his
horse-leeches crept ont Of a bottle. and
drew blood from the other pupils, or which
OCOu%lOI lAIC lIl1olCl dtOldLCu III NOuiI
not take him back for twenty pound. "
From this third school he was also ex.
PEELED because q centipsde, or "Maggie
Monyfeet," was found on a desk, and, as
Thomas had a bad name, he was accused
falsely OF bringing it into the building and,
worse still, severely beaten for denying the
charge. eco home! !" cried the enraged
master, "aad tell your father to get you
on board a man-Ot-War, as that is th0 best
school for irreclaimables such as you"
When he got home he said he would not
go to any more schools, he would work !;
but he was scarcely six years old, aud too
young to work. So he IOitered about the
Inches and collected his beasts as before,
till in a little while his parents thought
he might Rs we'll do something SO he
went to work with O firm Of tobacconists,
at first at fourteen pence a week. "'Pcople
may say of factories what they please, -
says Edward, " but | liked this factory.
1t was a happy time for me while I re-
manned there Il was situated in q
beautiful position on the River Don, about
two miles from Aberdeen, and there he
saw for the first time the kingfsher aud
SCuSO WulOtClJ anu was Tree ~ HulIIILC
the wonders of nature without being re-
preached foy his love of beasts.
But this pleasant time was not to last.
Alter two years his parents took him
away and apprenticed him to one Begg,
a drinking, fighting shoemaker, where
Thomas learnC the trade which he still
follows. Shoemakers. Mr.. Smiles tell US,
are usually very fond Of pets, and espe-
cialy Of birds, but Begg was an exception
to the rule. He had 40 love for the
works of nature, and detested those who
had. With this tyrant Thomas was
bound to serve six years. No wonder,
when Begg searched his apprentices
pockets for beasts" and slew ruthless
ly his pet moles and sparrows, that ia
three years Thomas had enough Of shoe
making, wished to go to sea, and at
last ran away from his indentures. At
this time it was that he set off on a won
derful journey of hundred miles with
only %sevenpence to visit his uncle at
Kettle, in Fifeshire, a feat which he accom-
plished, returning after a week with six
pence in his pocket, which he had saved
outof eighteen pence given him by the uncle.
After his flight he retur ned to bis trade
aud worked with his old master on an
arrangement by which he received some