ALEXANDER WILSON. 39 



the while the pantings of its little heart shewed it 

 to be in the most extreme agonies of fear. I had 

 intended to kill it, in order to fix it in the claws of 

 a stuffed Owl; but happening to spill a few drops 

 of water near where it was tied, it lapped it up 

 with such eagerness, and looked in my face with 

 such an eye of supplicating terror, as perfectly over- 

 came me. I immediately untied it, and restored it 

 to life and liberty. The agonies of a prisoner at the 

 stake, while the fire and instruments of torment are 

 preparing, could not be more severe than the suffer- 

 ings of that poor mouse ; and, insignificant as the 

 object was, I felt at that moment the sweet sensa- 

 tions that Mercy leaves on the mind when she tri- 

 umphs over cruelty." 



Filled with golden anticipations in favour of this 

 work, and finding that, consistently with its ad- 

 vancement, he could not discharge conscientiously 

 his duty to his pupils, at the same time, being 

 desirous of adding to his knowledge of the subject, 

 he partially relinquished the school, and succeeded 

 in procuring a little employment as a contributor 

 to the " Literary Magazine" 



In October 1804, accompanied with two friends, 

 he set out on foot to visit the Falls of Niagara, and on 

 his return, he writes thus to Mr. Bartram. " Though 

 now snugly at home, looking back in recollection 

 on the long circuitous journey which I have at 

 length finished, through deep snows and uninhabited 

 forests over stupendous mountains and down dan- 



