1842] Awakening Love of Nature. 3 



impressions of natural beauty were received. Here he 

 mentions in detail seeing the Jungfrau, the goats, the wild 

 strawberries, a covered bridge, and Swiss carvings ; and, 

 more important still, " caught first pretty butterfly." A 

 second fatality in the little household was somewhat nar- 

 rowly averted at the same place, Alexander being " nearly 

 drowned in the mill-stream," but, happily, rescued by a 

 boy. The beauties of Renens still further drew out his 

 growing love for nature. Each succeeding novelty 

 quickened his thirst for information, and he became a 

 most imperious questioner. His nursery-governess dubbed 

 him " Master Why-Why/' The handsome butterflies of 

 Switzerland, already noticed at Interlaken, were naturally 

 among the first objects to attract his interest, and he soon 

 began to form a collection. They were chiefly species 

 which he had no means of naming: but still the boy 

 delighted in discriminating the different kinds. His one 

 constant companion was his only sister, on whom he early 

 impressed it as a first principle that she must do exactly as 

 he did. They climbed the rocks, waded the streams, and 

 scrambled through the thickets together. Occasionally, 

 their efforts at self-education were discouraged, as, for in- 

 stance, when they brought home a number of frogs, which 

 they believed they had correctly made out to be of the 

 edible species, and demanded to have them cooked. This 

 was refused ; but the children, not to be baulked, carried 

 their treasures elsewhere, killed, cooked, ate, and voted 

 them delicious. At the time of this incident he was seven 

 or eight years old. 



In another respect the years spent at Renens indirectly, 

 but largely, affected his later life. Captain and Mrs. Shawe 

 (afterwards Sh awe-Taylor), of Castle Taylor, Co. Gal way, 

 were here for a time the Mores 7 nearest neighbours ; and 

 while a friendship sprang up between the families, the two 

 boys, Walter and Alexander, became particularly attached 

 to one another. At the age of nine, however, Alexander 

 was sent to live with a tutor, M. Germond, at Yvonnand, 

 on the Lake of Neufchatel. Towards this good pastor, 

 with whom he remained for one year at Yvonnand, and then 

 for another year at Echallens, he ever afterwards enter- 



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