ools with which to make
things. Tales open up for him the long vistas of history; and the
stage-coach with its slow rolling blaze of lights teaches him geography,
and the far-flung imaginative suggestiveness of the road; while the
annual cattle-fair actually gathers the ends of the earth about his
wondering eyes, and gives him his first impression of the variety of
human life.

Childhood brings with it much that is sweet and gentle, flowing on like
the little Kuhbach; and yet suggests far thoughts of Time and Eternity,
concerning which we are evidently to hear more before the end. The
formal education he receives--that "wood and leather education"--calls
forth only protest. But the development of his spirit proceeds in spite
of it. So far as the passive side of character goes, he does
excellently. On the active side things go not so well. Already he begins
to chafe at the restraints of obedience, and the youthful spirit is
beating against its bars. The stupidities of an education which only
appeals to the one faculty of memory, and to that mainly by means of
birch-rods, increase the rebellion, and the sense of restraint is
brought to a climax when at last old Andreas dies. Then "the dark
bottomless Abyss, that lies under our feet, had yawned open; the pale
kingdoms of Death, with all their innumerable silent nations and
generations, stood before him; the inexorable word NEVER! now
first showed its meaning."

The youth is now ready to enter, as such a one inevitably must, upon the
long and losing battle of faith and doubt. He is at the theorising stage
as yet, not having learned to make anything, but only to discuss things.
And yet the time is not wasted if the mind have been taught to think.
For "truly a Thinking Man is the worst enemy the Prince of Darkness can
have."

The immediate consequence and employment of this unripe time of
half-awakened manhood is, however, unsatisfactory enough. There is much
reminiscence of early Edinburgh days, with their law studies, and
tutoring, and translating, in Teufelsdroeckh's desultory period. The
climax of it is in those scornful sentences about Aesthetic Teas, to
which the hungry lion was invited, that he might feed on chickweed--well
for all concerned if it did not end in his feeding on the chickens
instead! It is an unwholesome time with the lad--a time of sullen
contempt alternating with loud rebellion, of mingled vanity and
self-indulgence, and of much sheer devilishness