XV11 



pirited on account of certain crosses in 



; but, stop, I must not meddle with 



the feelings of his heart, for they are the 

 only matters upon which a child may not 

 govern him. I treated him Derbyshire 

 fashion my hospitality with that of my 

 family was, perchance, rude, but it was 

 frank-hearted. He seemed pleased with it, 

 rallied, recovered, made himself at home. 

 I showed him the scenery of the neigh- 

 bourhood, brought him suddenly on the 

 most interesting parts of the Dove, and 

 never shall I forget the fishing enthusiasm 

 excited in him by the sight of that lovely 

 stream. He uttered on its banks some 

 fifty rhapsodical speeches, all of them, 

 save one, in some language, or languages, 

 which I understood not. I feared he was 

 possessed of the " gift of tongues." He 

 became calmer, took me under the arm, 

 and turning his back upon the river, and 

 directing his steps homewards, he began 

 singing, not very melodiously by-the-by, 

 the following stanza : 



