CHAP. i. THE INCORRIGIBLE BOY. 9 



The boy was expostulated with. His mother 

 threw out all his horse-leeches, crabs, birds, and 

 birds' nests ; and he was strictly forbidden to bring 

 such things into the house again. But it was of 

 no use. The next time that he went out to play, 

 he brought home as many of his " beasts " as before. 

 He was then threatened with corporal punishment. 

 But that very night he brought in a nest of young 

 rats. He was then flogged. But it did him no good. 

 The disease, if it might be so called, was so firmly 

 rooted in him, as to be entirely beyond the power of 

 outward appliances. And so it was found in the end. 



Words and blows having failed to produce any 

 risible effect, it was determined to keep him in the 

 house as much as possible. His father, who was a 

 handloom weaver, went to his work early in the 

 morning, and returned late at night. His meals were 

 sent to him during the day. The mother, who had 

 her husband's pirns to fill, besides attending to her 

 household work, was frequently out of the way ; and 

 as soon as she disappeared, Tom was off to the Inches. 

 When any one made a remark about her negligence 

 in not keeping a tighter hold of the boy, her answer 

 was, " Weel, I canna be aye at his heels." Sometimes 

 he was set to rock the cradle. But on his mother's 

 arrival at home, she found the rocker had disappeared 

 He was also left to play with the younger children ; 

 but he soon left them to play by themselves. 



He was occasionally sent a message, though he 



