CHAPTER VI. 



THE first of October, 1774, arrived at last; and, 

 for the first time in my life, I felt myself at liberty. 

 I wrought a few weeks with my old master, and 

 then set off to spend the winter at Cherryburn. 

 There I had plenty of work to do, chiefly from 

 Thomas Angus, printer, Newcastle. I continued 

 there, employed by him and others, till the summer 

 of 1776. This was a time of great enjoyment, for 

 the charms of the country were highly relished by 

 me, and after so long an almost absence from it, 

 gave even that relish a zest which I have not words 

 to describe. I continued to execute wood cuts and 

 other jobs, but often rambled about among my old 

 neighbours, and became more and more attached 

 to them, as ,well as to the country. 



In the storms of winter, I joined the Nimrods 

 as of old. In spring and summer, my favourite 

 sport of angling was pretty closely followed up. 

 About Christmas, as I had done before when a boy, 

 I went with my father to a distance to collect the 

 money due to him for coals. In these rounds, I 

 had the opportunity of Avitnessing the kindness and 

 hospitality of the people. The countenances of all, 

 both high and low, beamed with cheerfulness; and 

 this was heightened everywhere by the music of old 



