28 MEMOIR OF THOMAS BEWICK. 



the sleek, fat, useless animal was much disliked 

 by me as well as by some of the other boys. 

 When it made its appearance in the churchyard, 

 which it sometimes did, we set about frightening" 

 it; and, for this purpose, some of us met it at 

 every gate and outlet, and stopped its retreat till 

 it became quite distressed. The last time that 

 this kind of sport was practised on her little dog, 

 I happened to be the only actor. Having met 

 with it at a little distance from its home, I had 

 stopped it from entering the house, and had pur- 

 sued it about and about, or met it at the end of 

 every avenue, till it was put into great " bodily 

 fear !" This behaviour towards her little favourite 

 was very offensive to Miss Gregson. She could 

 endure it no longer, and she called me to account 

 for it. I can never forget her looks upon the occa- 

 sion. She no doubt intended to scold me, but the 

 natural sweetness of her disposition soon showed 

 itself in its true colours. She did not know how 

 to scold ; for, after some embarrassing attempts 

 at it, and some hesitation, she put me in mind of 

 my being related to her, and of her uniform kind- 

 ness to me, and with irresistible arguments and 

 persuasions made me see the impropriety of my 

 conduct. With me this left its mark ; for from 

 that time forward I never plagued any of the girls 

 at school, nor did any thing that might give them 

 offence ; nor has this impression ever been effaced 

 from my mind, but has been there fostered through 

 life and settled into a fixed respect and tender 

 regard for the whole sex. 



Hitherto my life at school and at home might 

 be considered as a life of warfare, and punish- 

 ments of various kinds had been inflicted upon 



