BOYHOOD. 29 



haste to spread the news that I had discovered a 

 hoard of stolen fruit. 



I must have been a very simple little fellow when I 

 first went to the school. A boy of the name of 

 Garnett took me into a cake shop one day, and 

 bought some cakes for which he did not pay, as the 

 shopman trusted him. When we came out I asked 

 him why he did not pay for them, and he instantly 

 answered, " Why, do you not know that my uncle left 

 a great sum of money to the town on condition that 

 every tradesman should give whatever was wanted 

 without payment to any one who wore his old hat and 

 moved [it] in a particular manner ?" and he then showed 

 me how it was moved. He then went into another 

 shop where he was trusted, and asked for some small 

 article, moving his hat in the proper manner, and of 

 course obtained it without payment. When we came 

 out he said, " Now if you like to go by yourself into 

 that cake-shop (how well I remember its exact posi- 

 tion) I will lend you my hat, and you can get what- 

 ever you like if you move the hat on your head 

 properly." I gladly accepted the generous offer, and 

 went in and asked for some cakes, moved the old hat 

 and was walking out of the shop, when the shopman 

 made a rush at me, so I dropped the cakes and ran 

 for dear life, and was astonished by being greeted 

 with shouts of laughter by my false friend Garnett. 



I can say in my own favour that I was as a boy 

 humane, but I owed this entirely to the instruction 

 and example of my sisters. I doubt indeed whether 

 humanity is a natural or innate quality. I was very 



