the undue
admiration he received on all sides, by impartial justice in her praises
and reproofs.

But we have not much to do with his boyhood, which was wild and
untameable; beyond the fact that, when sent by his good uncle to Rugby
with a view to his becoming a clergyman, he resolutely declared his
intention of going to sea, and ran away from school to effect his
purpose. He was captured, however by the masters, and a sharp look-out
kept upon him for the future, which prevented further escapades.

He did not make brilliant progress in his studies, though he was clever
enough, and accordingly his aunt persuaded her vicar to adopt her
favourite nephew, Rowland, in his stead, and to let Owen go a voyage or
two in a merchant vessel, to cure him of his love for a seafaring life.

It was Mr Prothero's wish to have one of his two sons a farmer, he did
not much care which, so it was with some difficulty that Aunt Jonathan
induced him to listen to her proposal of making a clergyman of Rowland.
He yielded at last, however, in the hope that when Owen had had enough
of the sea, he would come and settle at home, since, next to this, his
favourite hobby, he professed to like farming.

Owen was about fifteen when he first went to sea--he was just
seven-and-twenty when he came home with the peep-show. During the
intermediate twelve years he had been all over the world: not merely as
a sailor, but as an adventurer, traveller, speculator, merchant, and
wandering Jack-of-all trades. As quickly as he made money, so he lost
it, spent it, or gave it away; and when he had no other resource, he
worked as a common sailor, or labourer, until some lucky chance opened a
passage for some fresh excitement. There is this to be said in his
favour. During this long period he was never chargeable to his father in
any way. If he got into difficulties, he got out of them pretty easily:
if he was in want of bread, which had been frequently the case, his
friends at home knew nothing of it. Beyond the regular new outfit, in
the way of clothes, that his mother made for him each time that he
returned home, he had never had anything from his parents, and
resolutely refused it if offered. Always cheerful, hopeful, in high
spirits, open as the day, affectionate, and attractive, he was a welcome
guest wherever he went. Did he come home in rags, or as now, with a
peep-show in his arms, or as once before, with a hurdy-gurdy and
monkey, all his old friends made