ii 4 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



formation of his liability and his residence, and he was torn from home 

 and friends and forced aboard a man-of-war. Combe says : 



It is impossible to describe the horror and indignation with which this 

 event filled me. It gave the first rude shock to my feelings of respect toward 

 the ruling powers. I had worshiped the King and looked upon the Lord-Pro- 

 vost with reverence and awe. But this incident converted me from a loyal, 

 trusting, Tory child, into a demagogue and reformer. 



One day as he was walking along the road with one of his father's 

 workmen they met a tall man, in Highland costume, with a huge cap 

 and plumes, and a fearful-looking iron-hilted sword, who asked the 

 workman, " Is this your son ? " " No," said the man. " Is he a good 

 boy ? " " Yes, he behaves very well," said the man. " I am glad of it," 

 said the soldier, laying his hand on his sword, " for it is my duty to cut 

 off the heads of all naughty children." Combe says, " I believed every 

 word of this assurance and for months dared not venture into the street 

 without keeping an anxious watch for this sergeant who had filled me 

 with unutterable horror." 



These incidents may seem trivial, but they formed the staple of his 

 practical education. He says that " great drifts of suffering were driven 

 through the tenor of my life by the absence of consistent principle in 

 the actions and teaching of all by whom I was surrounded." And it 

 was the vivid recollection of this unhappiness which determined his 

 career as a reformer. 



At the age of nine he entered the High School of Edinburgh, where 

 he staid four years. There were about one hundred boys in his class, 

 and the learning was mere memorizing. The teacher, Mr. Fraser, every 

 afternoon gave out lessons (Latin) to be learned for the next day. In 

 the morning he beo-an at the head of the class and heard each scholar 

 repeat the portion of grammar he had learned by heart. Next came 

 translation. The sons of rich parents had tutors, of evenings, who 

 taught them, but Mr. Fraser taught nothing. These boys were at the 

 head of the class, and with them the lessons went on smoothly ; but, 

 when the incapables were reached, " beating took the place of teaching." 

 By standing from twenty-five to forty-five from the head of the class 

 young Combe learned his lesson by hearing those above him read it, 

 and in this way escaped beating, except when the teacher was dis- 

 turbed by a noise ; then, says Combe 



He held us all bonnd for each other's transgressions, and let loose upon us 

 a perfect storm of lashes, and never ceased till he was fairly out of breath. 



The discipline waxed severer as time passed on, and in the third year it 

 reached its acme. In the spring of that year Mr. Fraser " stripped and whipped," 

 to use his own expression, the boys at a great rate. I recollect one day seeing 

 fifteen boys standing at a time in the middle of the floor with their breeches 

 stripped down, and be taking hold now of one and now of another, threatening to 

 commence the " whipping." These inflictions were uniformly accompanied by 

 a phraseology in ntter contrast to their real chaacter. When he called on a boy 



