18 ACCOUNT OF A BOY 



sence of a stranger, or of any object whicli awakens liis curio- 

 sity, his face appears animated ; and when offended or enra- 

 ged, he has a very marked ferocity of look. He is (for his 

 age) of an athletic form, and has altogether a robust appear- 

 ance. 



" 2. lie behaves himself in company with much more pi'o- 

 priety than could be expected ; a circumstance owing undoubt- 

 edly to the great care of his parents, and of his elder sister. 

 He feeds himself. When a stranger arrives, his smell imme- 

 diately and invariably informs him of the circumstance, and 

 directs him to the place where the stranger is, whom he pro- 

 ceeds to siirvci/ by the sense of touch. In the remote situation 

 where he resides, male visitors are most frequent ; and, there- 

 fore, the first thing he generally does, is to examine whether 

 or not the stranger wears boots ; if he does wear them, he im- 

 mediately quits the stranger, goes to the lobby, feels for, and 

 a,ccurately examines his whip ; then proceeds to the stable, and 

 handles his horse with great care, and with the utmost seem- 

 ing attention. It has occasionall}^ happened, that visitors have 

 arrived in a carriage, and, on such occasions, he has never 

 failed to go to the place where the carriage stood, examined 

 the whole of it with much anxiety, and tried innumerable 

 times the elasticity of the springs. In all this he is undoubt- 

 edly guided by the smell and touch only, without any assist- 

 ance from sight ; for, going to call lately for his mother, I pass- 

 ed him, near to the house, within a few feet, without his no- 

 ticing me in the least ; and offering him a glass of punch after 

 dinner, he groped for it, as one in total darkness. 



" 3. The feeling by which he appears to be most power- 

 fully actuated, (at least to a stranger), is curiosity, or an anxi- 

 ous desire to make himself acquainted widi every thing that is 

 new to him. He appears to feel affection to those of his hr- 



