LETTER III. "So have I wander'd ere those days were past, As I was the eldeft, and my father for the first few years a careful hard working man, I fared fomething better than my brothers and fifters. I was put for two or three years to a day-school, kept by an old woman; and well remember how proud I used to be to fee feveral ancient dames lift up their hands and eyes with astonishment, while I repeated by memory feveral chapters out of the New Teftament, concluding me from this fpecimen to be a prodigy of Science. But my career of learning was foon at an end, when my mother became fo poor that fhe could not afford the mighty sum of two-pence per week for my fchooling. Befides, I was obliged to fupply C the the place of a nurse to several of my brothers and fifters. The confequence of which was, that what little I had learned was presently forgot; inftead of learning to read, &c. it very early became my chief delight to excel in all kinds of boyish mischiefs; and I foon arrived to be the captain and leader of all the boys in the neighbourhood. "The sprightlieft of the fprightly throng, "The foremost of the train." Mifs BOWDLER. So that if any old woman's lanthorn was kicked out of her hand, or drawn up a fignpoft, or if any thing was fastened to her tail, or if her door was nailed up, I was fure to be accused as the author, whether I really were fo or not. But one of my tricks had nearly proved fatal to me. I had obferved that yawning was infectious; and with a determination to have fome sport, I collected feveral boys together one market-day evening, and instructed them to go amongst the butchers; whither whither I accompanied them. We placed ourselves at proper diftances, and at a signal given, all began to yawn as wide as we could; which immediately had the defired effect, the whole butcher-row was fet a yawning; on which I and my companions burst out into a hearty laugh, and took to our heels. The trick pleased us fo well, that two or three weeks after, we attempted to renew it. But one of the butchers, who was half drunk, perceiving our intention, fnatched his cleaver and threw it at me, up which knocked off my hat without doing me any harm. I was about ten years of age, when a man began to cry apple-pies about the streets, I took great notice of his methods of felling his pies, and thought I could do it much better than him. I communicated to a neighbouring baker my thoughts on the fubject in fuch a manner as gave him a very good opinion of my abilities for a pie-merchant, and he prevailed on my father to let me live with him. My manner of crying pies, and my activity in felling them, foon made me the favourite of all fuch as purchased halfpenny apple-pies, and halfpenny plum-puddings, fo that in a few weeks the old pie-merchant shut up his fhop. You fee, friend, that I foon began to "make a noife in the world." I lived with this baker about twelve or fifteen months, in which time I fold fuch large quantities of pies, puddings, cakes, &c. that he often declared to his friends in my hearing, that 1 had been the means of extricating him from the embarraffing circumftances in which he was known to be involved prior to my entering his fervice. During the time I continued with this Baker, many complaints were repeatedly made against me for the childish follies I had been guilty of, fuch as throwing fnowballs, frightening people by flinging ferpents and crackers into their houses, &c. I alfo happened one day to overturn my master's fon, a child about four years old, whom I had been driving in a wheel-barrow, Dreading the confequences, I immediately flew from from my master's house, and (it being evening) went to a glazier's, and procured a parcel of broken glafs; I alfo provided myfelf with a pocketful of peas; and thus equipped, made fine diverfion for myfelf and my unlucky companions, by going to a number of houses, one after another, discharging a handful of peas at the windows, and throwing down another handful of glass in the ftreet at the fame inftant, which made fuch a noise as very much frightened many people, who had no doubt of their windows being broken into a thousand pieces. This adventure, together with throwing the child out of the wheel-barrow, produced such a clamour against me amongst the old women, that I would not return to my master, and not knowing what elfe to do, I went home to my father, who, you may eafily conceive could not afford to keep me idle, so I was foon fet down by his fide to learn his own trade; and I continued with him feveral years, working when he worked, and while he was keeping Saint Monday, I was with |