med torrent burst forth, and I found myself ready to be overwhelmed with an inundation of popular rage. Having put my hand to the plough, however, and being satisfie that my labours would in the end be crowned with an aburdant harvest, I was determined not to look back. Resol tion, tempered with prudence, I knew could overcome greater difficulties than those with which I was now threatened, and I took my measures accordingly. Being frequenti at tacked on the subject by my neighbours, I did not suffer my self to be irritated by their unjust and illiberal insinuations. but without taking any notice of their personalities, I argued the matter with them coolly and rationally, till I frequenty succeeded in convincing them that I neither had, nor coul have any other motive in the alterations about to take place, than the prosperity of the school, and the welfare of the child ren committed to my charge.

By steadily persevering in this conciliatory conduct, I secur ed a considerable party to support my views; but the major ity continued still dissatisfied, and some turbulent spirits which delighted in mischief, by their wilful misrepresentations added fuel to the flame. The infection easily spread from the parents to the children, and when I attempted to introduce the new system, although I began gradually and with caution, I was for the first time in my life threatened with an i open rebellion in the school. One day, in particular, when I had nearly completed my system, the boys I had selected for teachers, or monitors, having taken their stations and entered || on the exercise of their delegated authority, it happened that one of the scholars, (who had always been remarkable for his obstinacy and forwardness,) being reproved somewhat harshly by his little instructor for idleness, started from his seat, loudly exclaiming, that his father did not send him there to be snubbed by boys no better than himself; and if there were to be monitors, he had as good a right to be one as any of them. As he spoke he looked round the school for approbation and support; and then eyed me with an air of defiance; on which a confused murmur was heard from every quarter, and, in an instant, all was uproar and confusion. The crisis was critical, and I saw that not a moment was to be lost. Darting forward I seized the little culprit by the collar, and before his com panions were aware of my intentions, thrust him by main force into a dark closet by the side of my desk, and, locking the door, put the key in my pocket; then turning to the other boys, who were intimidated by this vigorous proceeding, and assuming all the dignity and firmness of which I was capable, I ordered them, on the pain of exemplary punishment, to return to their seats and their employments. They instantly

obeyel,

eyed, and order and subordination were restored. The le rebel, however, whom I had put in confinement, was I so easily subdued. Mad with resentment, and trusting to e support of his schoolfellows as well as his father, who, I erwards learned, had encouraged him to resist, he began to ake a violent attack on the door of his prison, with his hands d feet, calling out lustily at the same time for release. his was not to be borne, and I saw that an example was ecessary. I knew that there were many of the boys in. hom I could confide, and calculating on their assistance, ined to the influence of my own authority, I determined to ubject him to the derision of his schoolfellows. With this iew I brought him from his place of confinement, and plac ng on his head an old wig and cocked-hat, which I had be ore used for similar purposes, I seated him in my desk.'Here children," said I, turning to my scholars with a smile, here is your master!-Pray take your instructions from him. You will readily give him obedience when he has set you so excellent an example of it!" The perverse boy with a degree of bardihood which I did not look for, hoping, no doubt, still to make a party, and to find abettors among his companions, stood up and assumed a threatening attitude; but in an instant a hundred fingers were pointed at him, and a loud and general hissing shewed the new turn which had been given: to the general feeling, and convinced the poor rebel of the contempt which his conduct had excited. This unexpected: stroke was too much both for his pride and his courage. Crest fallen and confounded he burst into tears; but, instantly recovering himself, he at one bound gained the door. fore he could open it, however, and effect his escape, he was intercepted by some of the bigger boys, who dragged him. back to his seat of authority, and replaced the mock badges. of dignity on his head.-I had now gained my object, and. thinking that the poor mortified culprit had been sufficiently punished, I permitted him, after making proper submission,, and receiving a severe, but affectionate reprimand, to return to his lessons.

Be

Next morning I found that I had to contend with a more formidable band of opponents. I had risen early, according to my usual custom, and on my return from my morning walk: I was surprised to observe a crowd of men, women, and children approaching my house, in a disorderly and tumultuous manner.. Anxious to know the cause of their riotous beha viour, I went immediately up to them to make inquiry, on which I was assailed with such a volley of abuse from all quarters, and particularly from the female part of the mob,, that I did not long remain in ignorance :— "We'll learn you. Ccc 3.

to

to mind your trade yoursel, ye lazy, good-for-naething!" exclaimed one; "we'll mak' ye do like ither dominies, or pack about your business."-" Pride! pride!" cried another: "its a' pride! I hate sic proud Lucifers that 'ill no dirty their fin gers wi' their ain wark."-"If you're owre saucy," said a third, sneeringly, "to do the wark you're paid for, ye may e'en gang and beg. We dinna pay for our bairns to be learnt by bairns like themsels."-"Awa wi' your new-fangled nostrums," interrupted a fourth, with an oath, "mony a ane bet ter than a' your kith and kin, has baith gi'en and gotten schooling in the good auld way, and our weans shall learn as their fathers and mothers did before them."-" Mock and af front my boy again if you dare!" vociferated the father of the little culprit of the preceding day; “I'll make you repent shaming your betters: ye shall be made a laughing stock yoursel to the hail parish. You're owre proud now to use the taws, since ye hae gotten that fine lady wife o' yours." "Ay, ay," said the wife of an ale-house keeper, with an en vious grin," and the siller ye hae gotten by the fine boarders is turning your head; but our bairns are just as good as them, and hae just as good a right to hae justice done to them; and sae the short and the lang o't is, that if you dinna turn off your boarders, and learn the school yoursel, as you used to do, the Presbytery shall hear o't, and you'll rue the day you carried your head sae high.'

These, and a hundred other vulgar and impertinent speeches, with which I will not stain my paper, resounded from every side. This formidable list of grievances, however, and still more formidable threat, did not in the least appal me; but I saw no good that I could do in the present humour of my opponents by giving a formal answer to them, and as I observed a great number of my scholars collecting from different quarters to witness the altercation, I calmly said as soon as I was permitted to speak: "I am sorry, my good friends that you should think it necessary to make these com plaints in presence of your children and my other scholars You surely are not aware of the injury you do them, by per mitting them to witness such a scene. If you do not wish to prevent your children from reaping any advantage at schoolif you would not have them disobedient and rebellious under me, or any other master who inay afterwards have the charge of them, let me entreat you to send them instantly home, and to teach them, when you return, that submission to their instructors is one of their first duties, without which they can not hope either to be loved when they are young, or to be useful and respectable members of society when they arrive at manhood. Till they are dismissed you must excuse me

from

com holding any conversation on the subject you mention." Having said this, I turned to my own boarders and the scholars nconnected with my accusers, and in a tone of authority esired them to retire. They obeyed, though I easily saw twas not without reluctance that they left me alone to encouner the fury of the mob. Some of the parents had the good sense to see the propriety of my suggestion, and dismissed heir children, but the more ignorant and inveterate insisted that their bairns should "stay where they were, in spite of me, till I had been brought to my senses.' JOHN WILSON in particular, the father of the boy I had disgraced the day before, behaved most outrageously taking his son by the hand, and leading him forward, he exclaimed, with horrid oaths, and in a voice almost inarticulate with passion: "ye affronted my Jock, and thought to break his spirit, and the poor boy has ta'en on very ill, but it's your turn to be af fronted now, and he shall hae the satisfaction o' seeing 't wi' his ain een. Keep a good heart, sirrah," continued he, turning to his son, who began to tremble and draw back, "stan' forward like a man, and tell him to meddle wi' ye if he dare. He's no in the school now, and this is nae bairn's play. We'll scorn to be cowed by the like o' him. A wig, indeed! I'll wig him!" The boy recovered his courage, and caught the spirit of his father. "There! that's my brave fellow! at him, and tak' your heart's content o' him." The little fellow seized a stone, and, cowering behind his father, threw it with all his might at my head. It missed the mark, however, and fortunately only grazed my shoulder.

This was carrying the affair much farther than the rest of the mob were prepared to go, and a general cry of "shame! shame!" shewed me the advantage which this brutal behaviour of their ringleader gave me. "I pity that poor boy, said I, in an earnest and compassionate tone, “from my soul I pity him; his father is bringing him up to the gallows! I think nothing of the insult I have received myself, but I am exceedingly distressed that these young ones should learn such a lesson. Why will you not send them home? I then repeated, in the firmest and most determined manner, that I would hold no further communication with any of them in the presence of a single scholar, and calmly requested that those who thought proper to dismiss their children would separate themselves from the rest, and retire with me to the school-house, where they would find me willing to hear reason, and most ready to yield any point which I did not conceive of material importance for the good of my scholars. This proposition had the desired effect; it instantly divided the crowd into two parties, and eight or ten of the most vio

lent

lent and active of the agitators were confounded to find themselves deserted by their companions, and left to vent their rage in curses and imprecations. Their chagrin was such, that they followed me uttering the most injurious and offensive expressions, as I advanced to the schoolhouse along with my more rational neighbours, who disgusted with their violence, were already more than half inclined to take my part against their extravagant and unfounded charges.

We had not proceeded many steps, when, on passing the gate of an inclosure, a crowd of boys, headed by JOHN AINSLEY and WILLIAM BARTON, rushed out with loud cries, and instantly surrounding me, hurried me into the field before I had time for recollection, or could utter any thing but an exclamation of surprise. They then raised a huzza of triumph, and the strongest of them posted themselves at the gate, with stones and clubs, and pitchforks in their hands, to defend the passage from the mob, who stood petrified with astonishment on the other side. The fact was, that these affectionate boys, apprehending me to be in danger, had, on my dismissing them, resolved to prepare themselves for my rescue, should that be necessary. They had, therefore, left some scouts to watch our motions, under covert of a neighbouring hedge,. and having, with surprising rapidity, armed themselves in the manner I have mentioned, they returned, and laid their plans with a skill and forethought which would have done honour to an experienced general. Supposing from the tu multuous manner in which I was followed, that I was taken into custody, and was carried away by the mob against my will, they concluded that the time was come when it was their duty to act; and it must be confessed that they effected their purpose with admirable address. This occurrence, however, the moment I thought of the effect it was likely to produce, gave me serious uneasiness. Not an instant, I saw, was to be lost, and passing quickly through the midst of the boys, before they were aware of my intentions, I placed myself again among the people; then turning to my young friends, whose looks and exclamations betrayed their agitation, I reproved them for their hasty zeal, and assuring them that their fears for my personal safety were totally groundless, ordered them to retire. "We will not move an inch, Sir, even for you, till these people go away," said JOHN AINSLEY, with strong emotion. "We will not see you insulted and abused in this manner, even with your own consent. What right has a mob to give laws to you; and what have you done to deserve it? You who have always- "They shall not say another insolent word,"exclaimed WILLIAM BARTON, brandishing his pitchfork, "much less touch a hair of your head,

Let