CHAP. I.] FIGHTS A BULLY. 3 



which remained with him till the last, my father ever had 

 from infancy a great love of natural history in all its branches. 

 When he was four years old, through running and over-heating 

 himself on a hot day in June, in a hay-field, after a favourite 

 rabbit that had escaped from its hutch, he became ill with what 

 was then supposed to be a kind of croup, but which proved to 

 be the first attack of hay-fever, a complaint of rare occurrence 

 at that time ; but from that summer to a late period of his life 

 he was always a great sufferer from that disagreeable disorder. 



In my grandfather's account-book for June 18th, 1823, is the 

 following entry, which shows the far-seeing character of the 

 former in the estimation of his second son's abilities, this son 

 being at the time five years old. 



This day I have transferred 10 Imperial 3 per Cent. Annuity into the 

 names of William Smee, of the Bank, Gentleman, and Alfred Smee, of 

 Camberwell, Gentleman. I have been much gratified with the good con- 

 duct and zeal displayed by my dear Alfred in his studies, and I hope the 

 Almighty will continue such dispositions, which I confidently think will 

 lead to a brilliant result. 



After my grandfather had left Camberwell to reside at the 

 Bank of England, my father went, as did his elder brother, to 

 St. Paul's School. At that school, which prides itself on having 

 educated Milton, Marlborough, and many distinguished men, 

 Alfred Smee did not shine as a scholar ; but notwithstanding his 

 want of book learning, he left a mark, and at St. Paul's School his 

 name is held in respect. As a schoolboy his powers for natural 

 observation were a strong feature in his character. One of my 

 father's schoolfellows (afterwards one of our judges) amused him 

 one day by telling him that, on first coming to school, Alfred 

 Srnee's first words to him were, "What a long back you have got!" 

 The other boys were questioning him on his name, age, parentage, 

 &c., but only Alfred Smee noticed this peculiarity of his. "I 

 have often," added the judge, " laughed over this observation of 

 yours." 



While he was a small boy at school, his prowess was shown by 

 thrashing a " big bully " some years older than himself and 

 though Alfred Smee was not a fighting boy, and small and 

 unskilful in the art, yet his temper could not brook the im- 

 perious tones of a bully. The unfortunate boy who had incurred 

 his ire was wofully " mauled," to the delight of the rest of the 

 school. Another trait of his character we see in the following 

 anecdote. At the time he was at St. Paul's, the schoolroom clock 



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