“Only gentlemen are allowed to shoot pheasants as they are expensive.”
“We caught fish in the river some were small others about 2 feet long.”
“Butterflies dont do much work.”
“The trunk of the oak is used for constructing furniture, coffins and other expensive objects.”
But my readers will be weary, so I will conclude with the pregnant remark of a little prig, who writes:—
“I think the country was in a good condition for I found plenty of interesting things in it.”
One or two of my small correspondents show an early disposition to see faults and remember misfortunes.
“There was no strikes on down there but there was a large number of wasps,” was the reflection of one evidently conscious of the fly in every ointment. Another (aged ten) writes:—
“Dear Madam,—When I was down in the country I was lying on the couch and a wasp stung me. As I was on the common a man chased me, and I fell head first and legs after into the prickles, and the prickles dug me and hurt me.... I was nearly scorched down in the country.... One day when I fed the Pigs the great big fat pig bit a lump out of my best pinafore. One morning when I was in bed the little boy brought the cat up and put it on my face. When I was down in the country the Common caught a light for the sun was always too hot. So I must close with my love.”
Was there ever such a catalogue of misfortunes compressed into one short fortnight? Still, in the intervals she seems to have noticed a considerable number of trees, of which she makes a list, and adds: “I did enjoy myself”. Poor little maiden! Perhaps her elders had graduated in the school of misfortunes, and she had learnt the trick of complaining.