154 MY SUMMER IN A GARDEN. 



chances are, that he would have escaped 

 away with his pockets full, and jibed at 

 me from a safe distance. And, if I had 

 got my hands on him, I should have 

 been still more embarrassed. If I had 

 flogged him, he would have got over it 

 a good deal sooner than I should. That 

 sort of boy does not mind castigation 

 any more than he does tearing his 

 trousers in the briers. If I had treated 

 him with kindness, and conciliated him 

 with grapes, showing him the enormity 

 of his offence, I suppose he would have 

 come the next night, and taken the re 

 mainder of the grapes. The truth is, 

 that the public morality is lax on the 

 subject of fruit. If anybody puts 

 arsenic or gunpowder into his . water 

 melons, he is universally denounced as 

 a stingy old murderer by the commu 

 nity. A great many people regard 

 growing fruit as lawful prey, who would 



