School Days. 3 



practised by boys upon each other. Among his 

 comrades was a boy named Gamett, who one day 

 invited young Darwin into a store and treated him 

 to cakes. Darwin noticed that his friend did not 

 pay for them, and the occurrence, so unusual, moved 

 him to ask for an explanation. Mischievous Gamett 

 eyed his young schoolmate a moment, much as Mr. 

 Jingle did Mr. Pickwick on their famous ride, and 

 replied : " Why, my uncle left a large sum to each 

 tradesman in the town with the understanding that 

 anyone who wore his old hat and moved it in a 

 peculiar way should obtain what he wished free." 

 Young Darwin was naturally seized with a burning 

 desire to exercise this wonderful power, which his 

 comrade was only too eager to grant ; so the next 

 store they came to Darwin took the hat, walked 

 bravely in, and ordered a supply of good things, 

 giving the old hat a move as directed. He was pass- 

 ing out, when the storekeeper, who was at first 

 amazed, dashed over the counter after the singular 

 customer, who stood not upon the order of going, 

 but dropped hat and cakes and ran as if for his life 

 to the measure of the hearty laughter of his com- 

 panion. 



While Darwin was fond of sport and a true boy 

 in his pranks and games, there was a vein of uncon- 

 scious dignity in him that the average youth did not 

 possess. He tells us that in running to school he 

 prayed to the Lord to aid him in arriving before it 

 was too late, which would show a strong religious 

 nature ; and that he was humane and honourable to a 

 marked degree is well known. How many boys in 



