A GREAT MISTAKE. 145 



totally subversive of the benefits that 

 awaited him, and as contrary to what he 

 expected and intended when he first sent 

 him to College. Then he would blame 

 himself in no very measured language. 



" I have committed a great mistake, Sir," 

 said he to me " I ought to have made a 

 sailor of him, and a parson of the other" 

 alluding to his brother; " he is a meek, unas- 

 suming youth, that had nothing to say for 

 himself on board ship ; while this, Sir, 

 would knock the devil down, let alone a 

 Proctor, if he offended him." 



But it would require the pen of a 

 Dickens to describe the ebullitions of anger 

 that escaped him at the misconduct of his 

 son. At one breath he would avow the 

 most implacable vengeance, while with the 

 next he would say he was " a d high- 

 spirited fellow." He kept coupling the 

 unhappy error he had committed in the 

 choice of professions for his sons with a 

 conviction of the heinous offence one of 



VOL. III. L 



