62 WILD SCENES AND WILD HUNTERS. 
But now came the first great revolution to my young life. 
I must be sent from home to school! The rebel-boy is to be 
tamed by stern and wholesome lessons—by the necessity of 
self-sustained struggle with the rough actualities of being. 
The soft delicious haze of home—the warm thrill of nest 
ling love beneath a gentle mother’s wing, must even be chilled 
away in the bare, unaided conflict, for place and recognition 
among my fellows in the strange dreary world outside. The 
tender soothings of that sweet seclusion, where my heart had 
grown all fenced about by charms, must now give place to 
wanton gibes; and ruffian buffettings dispel my dream-born 
delicate visions, in the bare melee of vulgar license ! 
It was a fearful trial, but I endured it; for it was a wild 
country house they sent me to, and I sought for compensation 
amidst my old surroundings of the natural world. Those 
loved associations of the shady wood gave me new calm with 
the mild presence of their familiar graces, and strengthened, 
with music of the songs they sung at home, my sinking heart 
to bear the sharp bereavement. Here, from my first cheering 
refuge, they became my almost sole companions in rough soli- 
tary sports, until every secret place they made their haunts, 
for miles and miles around, was known to me in loving visi 
tation, wild foray, or vengeful raid. 
For a long time I shrank from the coarse companionship 
of the rude boys of my own age, who were my school-fellows 
—for, fresh from my sacred home, where bird voices had 
mingled most with the gentle tones of playmate sisters, their 
brutal recklessness of speech could but sound repulsive and 
disgusting to my dainty sense. I scorned them with fastidious 
haughtiness; and they of course taunted me until, my pride 
aroused, I stood at bay with sullen desperation, and in many 
a fierce battle pounded a full respect into their thick skulls 
for these same “‘womanish ways” of mine, as they had dared 
to name them! 
Now the ice was fairly broken—shocked by these rude col- 
