l8 THE LIFE OF PHILIP HENRY GOSSE. 



lodged in the Skinner Street house in succession to the 

 fair professors of the mystery of Poonah-painting. The 

 two little boys, who were identical in age, and who shared 

 several peculiarities of temperament which were not 

 found in any of their playmates, immediately became and 

 remained inseparable companions from morning to night. 

 My father has recorded, " My tastes were always literary. 

 As early as I can recollect, a book had at any time more 

 attraction for me than any game of play. And my plays 

 were quiet ; I always preferred my single playmate, John 

 Brown, to many." In another note I find this statement 

 enlarged : — 



" From infancy my tastes were bookish. I can recall 

 " myself, when a very tiny boy, stretched at full length 

 " on the hearth-rug before the parlour fire, reading with 

 " eager delight some childish book ; and this as an 

 "ordinary habit. The earliest books I read were, I 

 " think, London Cries, The History of Little Jack, and 

 " Prince Leboo. Old Mrs. Thompson, our former land- 

 " lady, gave me a Sparrman's Travels in South Africa 

 ^^ and the East Lndies. This became one of my most 

 " valued books, yet, owing to my morbid bashfulness, I 

 " could not be persuaded to formally thank the old lady 

 " for her gift. Robinson Crusoe was an early delight, of 

 " course, and Pilgrims Progress another. This latter 

 " I knew nearly by heart when I was ten or twelve years 

 "old. It was the first part only that we had. 

 " Christiania's adventures I did not know until long 

 " after, and when I came to read them they never 

 "possessed for me the same charm as Christian's. I 

 " could not persuade myself that they were genuine." 

 The first break in the monotony of the child's life 

 occurred when he was nine years old. For seven years 

 Mrs. Gosse had not seen her parents, and in order that 



