arm belonging to Thomas Beattie, Esq.
of Muckledale, and who, when my father was in Ewes, had been his
friend. My employment here was, along with a younger brother, to tend
the cows. In the winter season we entered the Corrie school, but had
only attended a short while when we both took fever, and our attendance
was not resumed. At Langshawburn, my father for several winters hired a
person into his house, who taught his family and that of a neighbouring
shepherd. In consequence of our distance from any place of regular
education, I had also been boarded at several schools--at Devington in
Eskdale, Roberton on Borthwick Water, and Newmill on the Teviot, at each
of which, however, I only remained a short time, making, I suppose, such
progress as do other boys who love the football better than the
spelling-book.

"At the Whitsunday term my father relinquished his farm, and returned to
his former employment in the Forest of Ettrick, under Mr Scott of
Deloraine, to whom he had been a shepherd in his younger days. With this
family, indeed, and that of Mr Borthwick, then of Sorbie, and late of
Hopesrigg, all his years since he could wear the plaid were passed, with
the exception of the one just mentioned. It was at Deloraine that I
commenced the shepherd's life in good earnest. Through the friendly
partiality of our employer, I was made principal shepherd at an age
considerably younger than it is usual for most others to be intrusted
with so extensive a _hirsel_[1] as was committed to my care. I had by
this time, however, served what might be regarded as a regular
apprenticeship to the employment, which almost all sons of shepherds do,
whether they adhere to herding sheep in after-life or not. Seasons and
emergencies not seldom occur when the aid which the little boy can lend
often proves not much less availing than that of the grown-up man.
Education in this line consequently commences early. A knowledge of the
habits, together with the proper treatment of sheep, and therefore of
pastoral affairs in general, 'grows with the growth' of the individual,
and becomes, as it were, a portion of his nature. I had thus assisted my
father more or less all along; and when a little older, though still a
mere boy, I went for a year to a friend at Glencotha, in Holmswater, as
assistant shepherd or lamb-herd. Another year in the same capacity I was
with a shepherd in Wester Buccleuch. It was at Glencotha that I first
made a sustained attemp