Bert Lloyd's Boyhood: A Story from Nova Scotia Read online

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  BERT LLOYD'S BOYHOOD.

  "The whole crowd then precipitated themselves upon him,and proceeded to pummel any part of his body they could reach."--_Page165._

  _Frontispiece._]

  BERT LLOYD'S BOYHOOD

  A Story from Nova Scotia

  BY

  J. MACDONALD OXLEY, LL.D.

  _WITH EIGHT ILLUSTRATIONS BY J. FINNEMORE_

  London

  HODDER AND STOUGHTON

  27, PATERNOSTER ROW

  MDCCCXCII.

  EDINBURGH: PRINTED BY LORIMER AND GILLIES. 31 ST. ANDREW SQUARE.

  PREFACE.

  There is something so pleasing to the author of this volume--the firstof several which have been kindly received by his American cousins--inthe thought of being accorded the privilege of appearing before a newaudience in the "old home," that the impulse to indulge in a foreword ortwo cannot be withstood.

  And yet, after all, there would seem to be but two things necessary tobe said:--Firstly, that in attempting a picture of boy life in NovaScotia a fifth of a century ago, the writer had simply to fall back uponthe recollections of his own school-days, and that in so doing he hasstriven to depart as slightly as possible from what came within therange of personal experience; and, Secondly, while it is no doubt to beregretted that Canada has not yet attained that stage of developmentwhich would enable her to support a literature of her own, it certainlyis no small consolation for her children, however ardent theirpatriotism, who would fain enter the literary arena, that not onlyacross the Border, but beyond the ocean in the Motherland, there aredoors of opportunity standing open through which they may find their waybefore the greatest and kindliest audience in the world.

  J. MACDONALD OXLEY.

  OTTAWA, CANADA, _29th August, 1892_.

  CONTENTS.

  CHAPTER PAGE

  I. BERT IS INTRODUCED, 5

  II. FIREMAN OR SOLDIER, 11

  III. NO. FIVE FORT STREET, 17

  IV. OFF TO THE COUNTRY, 21

  V. THE RIDE IN THE COACH, 29

  VI. AT GRANDFATHER'S, 39

  VII. COUNTRY EXPERIENCES, 47

  VIII. TEMPTATION AND TRIUMPH, 57

  IX. LOST AND FOUND, 67

  X. BERT GOES TO SCHOOL, 81

  XI. SCHOOL LIFE AT MR. GARRISON'S, 93

  XII. A QUESTION OF INFLUENCE, 107

  XIII. BERT AT HOME, 117

  XIV. AN HONOURABLE SCAR, 127

  XV. A CHANGE OF SCHOOL, 139

  XVI. THE FIRST DAYS AT DR. JOHNSTON'S, 151

  XVII. THE HOISTING, 163

  XVIII. SCHOOL EXPERIENCES, 175

  XIX. VICTORY AND DEFEAT, 187

  XX. A NARROW ESCAPE, 203

  XXI. LEARNING TO SWIM, 217

  XXII. HOW HOISTING WAS ABOLISHED, 227

  XXIII. PRIZE WINNING AND LOSING, 239

  XXIV. A CHAPTER ON PONIES, 253

  XXV. ABOUT TWO KINDS OF PONIES, 263

  XXVI. VICTORY WON FROM DEFEAT, 273

  XXVII. ABOUT LITERATURE AND LAW, 287

  XXVIII. WELL DONE, BOYS! 301

  XXIX. THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW, 315

  XXX. HOME MISSIONARY WORK, 325

  XXXI. NOT DEAD, BUT TRANSLATED, 335

  XXXII. A BOY NO LONGER, 349