The Eskdale Herd-boy: A Scottish Tale for the Instruction and Amusement of Young PeopleBlackford, Mrs. (Martha)
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The Eskdale Herd-boy: A Scottish Tale for the Instruction and Amusement of Young People
Blackford, Mrs. (Martha)
Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction; Scotland -- Juvenile fiction; Shepherds -- Scotland -- Juvenile fiction
"I am well used to all kind of tempers," said he; "and though William has
great and alarming faults to combat, yet I am not without hope that I
shall be able to succeed in managing him better than you are doing. He
knows the mildness and affection of your nature, and most ungenerously
takes advantage of it to torment you, in hopes of wearing you out, and
making you, in the end, cease from opposing him. It will be quite a
different thing with me; he will find one uniform system of restraint and
punishment, in my school, practised towards all those who dare to act
otherwise than they are all directed. No violence or opposition on his
part will ever be able to make me yield in a single instance. One
stipulation, however, I must insist on making, that no excuse is to be
strong enough for taking him away from me, till I can with safety assure
you that I can trust him from under my own eye." Mr. Martin said he would
consider over the subject with his wife, and give him an answer next day;
telling him, at the same time, that he fully appreciated the kindness of
the offer, for he knew too well, that this poor unhappy boy was not a
pupil from whom Mr. Lamont was likely to derive much credit.--"He is,
however," added he, "a good scholar, and, as far as his lessons go, you
will never have any fault to find. It is his temper alone that is in
fault, at least I hope so; I do not think there is any thing wrong in the
heart." "I hope you are right," answered Mr. Lamont, "my dear Sir; by we
must lose no time, for, unless this temper be corrected, it will soon lead
to corrupt both heart and principles."
Next morning, Mr. Martin informed Mr. Lamont that he found Mrs. Martin so
extremely anxious for removing William, that he would very thankfully
accept his offer. It was therefore settled that Mr. Lamont should remain a
few days longer at the Manse, and that Mrs. Martin would, during that
time, get her son ready to accompany him; which accordingly took place.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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