many where I had oftentimes robbed the poor bird of her nest, and taken away her young ones; the sand-bank, where I had scraped the sloping channel, and amused myself with its artificial stream flowing down its declivity; the brook in which I had gathered many a smooth pebble, and fished for many a minnow, with my worsted line and crooked pin; the church-yard, with its old yew-tree, that had borne the storms of five centuries, where I had often, in earliest days, hastened by as fast as my heels could carry me, when I had rambled too far over our stiles at the close of day,

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Whistling aloud to keep my courage up ;" the remains of a Roman encampment, where my father had told me of the deeds of olden time, and how ancient Britons fought-these, I say, and a thousand other objects were all familiar to me. I knew the most common and minute objects. The bars of every stile that intercepted the entrances of our fields, the exact windings of every lane, and the precise shape of every stone that paved our court-yard, and of every panel and plank that constituted our building.

But I was now to be familiar with other objects. New arrangements were made in our family, and what death had spared, time separated. The state of my uncle's health required that he

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should remove to a milder air. My brother must go with him. This was readily assented to by my father, but it was a trial to my mother; she, however, bore it with becoming resignation, as she knew it would be for his advantage, since my uncle had adopted him as his heir, and being a man of refined taste and studious habits, he was likely to acquire considerable advantages under his continued instruction. I, too, was destined to change my situation. My father thought it would improve me in my learning and courage to become the competitor of other boys of my age, and he sent me to be educated at the school of a clergyman who had a numerous establishment. The parting between my mother and brother was most affectionate, and the tears trickled fast from each other's eyes, while my father laughed at the tenderness of the one, and mocked the blubbering of the other—he was, nevertheless, not altogether destitute of paternal feelings, for just as my brother and uncle moved off in a post-chaise, I saw the tear start in his eye, and his words were half-choked as he said to each "good bye." Nature moulds some men of rough materials, but she still leaves the traces of her own soft hand impressed upon the workmanship.

Soon after my uncle and brother had departed

for their distant residence, I had to pass through my ordeal, but it was by no means a fiery one. I had sense enough to see that my loss would not be felt by my mother-she was never unkind to me, but Charles was her favourite; this broke the tender ties of sympathetic feeling between us. Such distinctions are wrong; they are often visible among some of the animal tribes of the lower orders of creation; but those endowed

with intellect and reason should rise above them -father, mother, child, should imply a certain order of feeling always in harmony like the music of the spheres. I had also to leave the se vere discipline of my father, and he had che rished in me that high spirit of independence and enterprize, that I would have scorned to shed a tear, or breathe a sigh on such an occasion. Besides, he had painted, in glowing colours, all the advantages of having play-mates, of rivalling my competitors in learning, and forming some new connexions for life. Though I was so young, I built castles in the air, and for several nights dreamed delicious dreams of things to come. And now the vehicle drove up to the door, in which I was to take my departure for the stage that was to bear me to the scene of new exploits. My heart sunk for a moment on leaving objects which I felt were endeared to

me, but the next moment I thought of the cakes, and fruit, and books, and clothes, with which I was going to become a sort of independent being in a large world; I saw my new play-fellows rising before my mind, and scarcely had my mother kissed me, and my father given me a warm squeeze of the hand, and said, "Keep up thy courage, my boy!" before I found myself out of sight of the house, and my eye roving over the hills and vales around, and my heart as light as a feather.

It was evening when I reached my new residence. Being a stranger, I was admitted as a parlour guest, and I think I prepossessed my new tutor, whom I shall here call Doctor Concord, in my favour, by the frankness and cheerfulness of my manners. I felt nothing of the disorder of home-sickness, and could as readily have taken up my abode on board a man of war as at school, if such had been my destination. I was also pleased with the doctor, and thought I saw in him some resemblance to my father. He was a comely-looking man, of a well-proportioned stature, and his countenance concealed the "man having authority." However, in school he knew both how to make himself feared and loved, and was a good-humoured despot. He was reputed to be one of the best classics of

his day, and in the other principal branches of education he was a complete oracle for the boys, who used to call him their "Magnus Apollo." He would allow us freely to ask him questions for information, and never was at a loss for a satisfactory answer. This gained for him reverence and respect, for even boys can see if their

teacher is superficial. We have often expressed our surprise at his knowledge, and that

"One small head should carry all he knew ;"

and since my arrival at years of maturity, my recollections have only confirmed my early opinion. He was indeed occasionally severe, and this was a blot on his excellencies, but it was a part of the system of the day. Modern practice has driven away the ferula and the rod from most of the schools, and taught us that tickling the hand or the tail will not impart any more knowledge to the head. His heart was kind and humane. He could appreciate the merits of a pupil; he admired the noble and generous spirit; he encouraged the timid where there was an inclination to make acquirements, and splendid merit never went by him unrewarded. He had no flattery, but much sincerity, and we knew that whatever he said he meant; nor would any connexions or interests operate to bias the jus