i CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH 13 



boys' ears until the blood came, and I have heard the 

 late Mr. James Booth, as well as my uncles, describe 

 the physical pain which he inflicted upon them. He 

 was, however, always very kind to me in his old age. 



Shepherd possessed a fund of humour which oc- 

 casionally had its grim side, and some of his stories 

 were not altogether orthodox. After his death his 

 friends had his marble bust (he was a very ugly man 

 with a desperate squint) stuck up in the middle of the 

 chapel, with a long Latin inscription written by Lord 

 Brougham describing the good qualities of heart and 

 head which his old friend possessed. Dr. Shepherd's 

 methods of discipline sometimes took an informal turn. 

 Thus I remember that in the field behind " The Nook" 

 was an open bath, access to which was strictly forbidden 

 to the boys. It was surrounded by a wooden railing, 

 and between the railing and the bath grew a flourish- 

 ing bank of nettles. One day the doctor, who was 

 short-sighted, was walking up and down the field read- 

 ing his Horace, as was his wont, when he heard a 

 commotion in the water. He at once understood that 

 his boys were breaking rules. He said nothing, but 

 gradually drew near to the place. The boys, fear- 

 ing his displeasure, which was a serious matter, got out 

 of the water and hid themselves among the nettles. 

 The doctor slowly passed up to the side where the 

 boys were ensconced, growling and making a well- 

 known peculiar noise characteristic of his anger ; the 

 boys then crept in fear and trembling to the other side, 

 thus hoping to hide themselves. He never inquired 

 which of the boys had committed this grievous offence, 

 thinking, and with good reason, that they had been 

 sufficiently punished for their misdemeanour. Some- 

 times, however, the boys had their revenge on the 

 doctor. Thus, one day he saw something moving 



