EYES AND NO EYES 
As a child I had two great desires, and I do not 
remember indulging particularly in any other : one 
was that when I grew up I might paint pictures of 
the wild things that surrounded my lonely home, the 
other that I might have money enough to buy books 
about them. I am thankful to say that both these 
longings have been in a great measure gratified. In 
my wildest day-dreams, however, I never aspired to 
writing myself about the creatures. That has come 
about since my hair turned grey and my hot blood 
has cooled down a little. I am sure of one thing 
that a man who lives amongst the so-called working- 
classes, and who has also unrestricted intercourse 
with foresters and the more intelligent rustics, has 
opportunities for gaining a real insight into wild life 
such as many a student of nature, who may have 
been what is from the world's point of view more 
fortunate in the circumstances of his life, cannot 
have. 
