The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-01-26
could not remember the time when he was

him. and when he was six years old he says: soon learned to rhyme with the facility of an improvisatore. lregaled the ears of the maids who gathered round me in the nursery with ballads on all con- ceivable subjects, and they in turn sang their favorlte songs to me. Lady's maid and all the lesser lights of the female household thought me prodigy, and as lay in my little crib, and they sat at work around me like the weird sisters, l used to hear them prophecy in low tones of the brilliant futurity of Master Ed ward" The incessant praise he received fostered his self-esteem and made him an egotist from infancy.
 In his eighth year occurred the death of his grandfather, whom Edward re- membcred with feelings not altogether kindly for the eccentric old man had given his first and only f1ogging without word of explanation. The old pedant's books were brought by the eart-load to his mothers house, where they remained for a short time before being sold. This marked an epoch in the boys life.
 My mother, he says, "spent her days almost entirely either with Mrs. I.ytton. who perhaps she still fancied needed soothing and comfort, or wits lawyers. So the house, with all its new treasures, was given up to me. Having duly vis- tied all the lesser, If loftier settlements of the immigration, l finally, as 1 before said, settled myself habiiually in the din- ing room, which regarded as the cen tral camp of the invading hordes. Words cannot paint the sensations of awe, of cu- riosi,y, of wonder, of delight with which dwelt in that city of the dead. Even now, whenI think of them, am in a fever, and grope darkly at my meaning through all confusion and change of metaphor, and vague, big words, which crumble away as clutch at them in de- spair. Books had known familiarity be- fore but they had been given me with reserve-taken, one by one at a time, from mahogany cases under lock and key, with cautions not to dog ear, and an infinity of troublesome restrictions. But here l was a chartered libertine l might throw the handkerchief as liked. Twas not married to a single volume, in hum- drum monogynlcal connection. was Solomon in all his glory and surrounded by all his serag.io. Those Greek and Hebrew and Oriental beauties lifted up their veils but, reading nothing in their passionate faces that returned my ardor and coaxlng no reply from their lips in an ineligible tongue. shook my head and passed on. l fingered longer with the inspirations from Iatium: for Mr. Walker. Tn addition to the art of cal ligraphy. had taught me to decline .Nnsa. and con)usate aDtc so though, should know something of Latin, and tried hard to tiirt with the daughters of Romuus. It WAS Tn vain, not n,mph among them warmed from her marble. was forced 10 limit my amours To the children of my native land"
 Southey's translation of "Amadis of Gaul " and the Fairy Queen he read with greates, delight, bu, he appears to have blundered-infant though he was through many defles of book land, deep and abstruse." He seems to have stumbled into the mysteries of metaphysics, for one day. after long musing, he suddenly startled his mother with the preposterous question Pray, mamma, are you not sometimes overcome by the sense oi your own iden-
 
 the child with amazed alarm" and sald It 's high time you should go to school. Teddy"
 The books were soon sold. except d few. among which was his favorite Anna dis and the family went to live at the grandtather's seat, knebworth. in Hert- tordshne, an ancient storied pile. This, too, was the beginning of a new epoch for the susceptible child. He was plunged into an atmosphere of legend and TO- nance more real and exciting ,o his lm- agination than that which clustered abou, |" Amadis and the heroes of the Z" Fairy Queen
 When nine years old he was tirs, sen, away 10 school. At the frs, school he did not stay more than a fortnight and that was made utterly wretched by req son oi the prosecutions of the other boys and his woiul home-sickness.
 :" Al last, he says. my home-sickness became apparent to the good schoolms- tress. She was some relation to the mas ter not his wife. She sent for me and aeoos,ed me with great kindness.
 "' My dear, said she l see her now comedy. plump matron in stone-col- ptSu stN gown ny ucaf. tlic consists of perpetual separations from those we love. You pine for your mother But you will soon see her again. Think how much harder IS my fate than yours. have lost A beloved husband. He is dead. shall never see him more. Bu, you see am resigned and comfortable
 "' How long ago is i, since you lass saw him, ma am: said I.
 "' More than twenty years said the lady
 ''' That Is a very long time. said l. ,houshiiully. and when have been twenty years at school dare say shall feel as resigned and comfortable as you do d, the loss of your husband"
 " The good lady never attempted to comfort me a.ain.
 Two other schools were tried and con siderable time wasted and then he was placed in Dr. Rockers academy at Rot iendean. where things were to his liking and he made preat rlrDyrrSS Ha s,,,..l