A boy
may play the truant from school because he dislikes books and study; but,
depend upon it, he intends doing something the while--to go fishing, or
perhaps to take a walk; and who knows but that from such excursions both
his mind and body may derive more benefit than from books and school?
Many people go to sleep to escape from idleness; the Spaniards do; and,
according to the French account, John Bull, the 'squire, hangs himself in
the month of November; but the French, who are a very sensible people,
attribute the action, 'a une grande envie de se desennuyer;' he wishes to
be doing something say they, and having nothing better to do, he has
recourse to the cord.
* * * * *
'Well,' said the old man, 'I once saw the king of the vipers, and since
then--' 'The king of the vipers!' said I, interrupting him; 'have the
vipers a king?' 'As sure as we have,' said the old man, 'as sure as we
have King George to rule over us, have these reptiles a king to rule over
them.' 'And where did you see him?' said I. 'I will tell you,' said the
old man, 'though I don't like talking about the matter. It may be about
seven years ago that I happened to be far down yonder to the west, on the
other side of England, nearly two hundred miles from here, following my
business. It was a very sultry day, I remember, and I had been out
several hours catching creatures. It might be about three o'clock in the
afternoon, when I found myself on some heathy land near the sea, on the
ridge of a hill, the side of which, nearly as far down as the sea, was
heath; but on the top there was arable ground, which had been planted,
and from which the harvest had been gathered--oats or barley, I know not
which--but I remember that the ground was covered with stubble.
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