south-west; in 1824 they pushed north to the lakes, stayed awhile at
Keswick, and while the father went about his business, the child was
rambling with his nurse on Friar's Crag, among the steep rocks and
gnarled roots, which suggested, even at that age, the feelings expressed
in one of the notable passages in "Modern Painters." Thence they went on
to Scotland, and revisited their relatives at Perth. In 1825 they took a
more extended tour, and spent a few weeks in Paris, partly for the
festivities at the coronation of Charles X., partly for business
conference with Mr. Domecq, who had just been appointed wine-merchant to
the King of Spain. Thence they went to Brussels and the field of
Waterloo, of greater interest than the sights of Paris to six-year-old
John, who often during his boyhood celebrated the battle, and the heroes
of the battle, in verse.

Before he was quite three he used to climb into a chair and preach.
There is nothing so uncommon in that. Of Robert Browning, his neighbour
and seven-years-older contemporary, the same tale is told. But while the
incident that marks the baby Browning is the aside, _a propos_ of a
whimpering sister, "Pew-opener, remove that child," the baby Ruskin is
seen in his sermon: "People, be dood. If you are dood, Dod will love
you; if you are not dood, Dod will not love you. People, be dood."

At the age of four he had begun to read and write, refusing to be taught
in the orthodox way--this is so accurately characteristic--by syllabic
spelling and copy-book pothooks. He preferred to find a method out for
himself, and he found out how to read whole words at a time by the look
of them, and to write in vertical characters like book-print, just as
the latest improved theories of education suggest. His first letter may
be quoted as illustrating his own account of his childhood, and as
proving how entirely Scotch was the atmosphere in which he was brought
up. The postmark gives the date March 15, 1823. Mrs. Ruskin premises
that John was scribbling on a paper from which he proceeded to read what
she writes down (I omit certain details about the whip):

"MY DEAR PAPA,

"I love you. I have got new things. Waterloo Bridge--Aunt Bridget
brought me it. John and Aunt helped to put it up, but the pillars
they did not put right, upside down. Instead of a book bring me a
whip, coloured red and black.... To-morrow is Sabbath. Tuesday I go
to Croydon. I am going to