to the tails. He made water-wheels and windmills, LITTLE 

 and once constructed a miniature mill that he ran by JOURNEYS 

 placing a mouse on a treadmill inside. 

 In the meantime the cows got into the corn, and the 

 weeds in the garden improved each shining hour. The 

 fond mother was sorely disappointed in her boy, and 

 made remarks to the effect that if she had looked after 

 his bringing up instead of entrusting him to an indul- 

 gent grandmother, affairs -would not be in their present 

 state. Parents are apt to be fussy they cannot wait. 

 Q Matters reached a climax when the sheep, that Isaac 

 had been set to watch, overran the garden and demol- 

 ished everything but the purslane & ragweed, while all 

 the time the young man was under the hedge work- 

 ing out mathematical problems from his Descartes. 

 Cf At this stage the good mother called in her brother, 

 the Rev. Mr. Ayscough, and he advised that a boy 

 who was so bound to study should be allowed to study. 

 And the good rector offered to pay the wages of a man 

 to take Isaac's place on the farm. 



So, greatly to the surprise and pleasure of Mr. Stokes 

 of Grantham, Isaac one fine day returned with his 

 books, just as if he had only been gone a day instead 

 of a year. 



At the home of the apothecary the lad was thrice wel- 

 come. He had endeared himself to the women of the 

 household especially. He did not play with other boys 

 their games and sports were absolutely outside of 

 his orbit. He was silent and so self-contained that he 

 won from his school-fellows the sobriquet of " Old 



73 



