d was my favourite haunt. Some people had the
bad grace to let me hear that my visits to the wood were not very much
sought for. It was said that I had a habit of peeling bark off as many
trees as I could conveniently--sometimes it got to be
inconveniently--manage, and, in fact, doing anything that wasn't exactly
up to the nines. I now feel rather sorry that I should have given my
father and mother so much uneasiness, and cause my father so much
expense. Of course the keeper of the wood soon got to know me and my
eccentricities; it was a bad day for me when he did. It's a sad thing for
you when you get suspected of aught; if all doesn't go like "square" you
may look out for squalls. In my case, my father had to "turn-out" and pay
for the damage I was said to have done to the trees; those upon which I
left my mark had generally to come down--young trees--trees with plenty
of life in them I took immensely to. But I have since thought they
needn't have pestered my father as much as they did. I had many a narrow
"squeak" in my boyish days. When I was about an octave of years old, I
remember very feelingly an escapade which I was engaged in, as a wind-up
to one of my devastating expeditions to Peace Close Wood. The steward
dogged my footsteps and waylaid me, and, by Jove! he pursued me!
Fortunately for me, perhaps, there was a house near the wood, the roof of
which, at the rear, sloped almost to the ground. I mounted the roof and
walked along the rigging. The steward took it into his "noddle" to follow
suit. He did so. It was an exciting chase. I ran to the extreme edge of
my elevated platform and then actually jumped--I remember the jump yet, I
do--onto the road below. The result was a visit to Baildon, to a
celebrated doctor there, for an injury to my heels which I sustained by
my fall. Of course the steward had more sense than to follow me. He
complained, I believe, to my father; but my revered father, and mother
too--how I bless them for it!--gave all attention to their little
darling. I recovered. I was sent to school, which was carried on in the
"Old White House," near our house. It provided for the education of all
the young blood of the village--my little self included. This school, I
must say in passing, turned out some very good scholars: there was no set
teacher--the "learned 'uns" of the neighbourhood came forward and gave
their services. It used to be said I was a wild dog, a harem-scarem; and
I was often caned fo