BOYHOOD. ii 



him crawling on the ground with a lancet in his hand : 

 whether his treatment was right or wrong I know not, 

 but I think it must be admitted that he performed 

 a most heroic deed, and in these days he would have 

 been recognized as a hero, but, I am sorry to say it, in 

 those old times such heroism Was not fully considered. 

 I fancy no Royal Humane Society then existed to 

 award its gold medal for his bravery, and as far as I 

 can remember nothing was done to reward him in any 

 way for his noble self-sacrifice. 



He was my drawing-master, and I am sure we were 

 very good friends. I have a distinct recollection of 

 the little man. He was very short, thick-set, and rather 

 bow-legged ; of a sallow complexion, and a somewhat 

 Jewish cast of countenance, with bright dark eyes ; 

 he was of a kind and gentle nature. He said I had 

 some taste for drawing, and I regarded him as a won- 

 derful artist. A painting of his which was awarded to 

 me as a prize is in the possession of one of my family 

 to this day. I am afraid it does not quite justify my 

 boyish enthusiasm. 



He left the school shortly after this event, consequently 

 my artistic proclivities remain to this day undeveloped. 

 I have never heard of him since, and of course he has 

 joined the majority long since. The other masters, both 

 of them clergy men, lived to a good old age. One of them, 

 with whom I had kept up a fitful correspondence up to 

 the time of his death, died only a few years ago. 



TROUBLE. 



Our " Old Home " life, joyous and pleasant as it 

 was for the most part, was not altogether made up 



