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a sort of Jack-of-all-trades. He acted as cow-herd at one time, and stable-boy rani sex at another: in short, he could turn his hand to anything. rani sex it was his especial duty to go errands to Hawick, for which a retentive memory
well qualified him. He afterwards became a regular farm- servant to Mr. Laidlaw, and while in this capacity, he first discovered a taste for learning. How he acquired his first instructions is not rani sex known. The boy probably cherished a notion of duty on this subject, and was anxious rani sex to fulfil, as far as his rani sex unfortunate circumstances would rani sex permit, the designs of his
parent. He picked up a few crumbs of elementary literature at the table of Mr. Laidlaw's children, or interested the servants to give him what knowledge rani sex they could.
In a short time, Mrs. Laidlaw was surprised to find that rani sex Tom began to have a strange liking
for candle-ends. Not one about rani sex the farm-house could escape
him. Every scrap of wick and tallow he fell in with was secreted and taken to his loft rani sex above rani sex the stable, and suspicions were rani sex entertained respecting the use he made of them. Curiosity incited the people about the farm to watch rani sex his rani sex proceedings after he had retired to his den; and rani sex it was then discovered, to rani sex the astonishment of all, that the poor lad was engaged, with a book and a