Page:The Cottagers of Glenburnie - Hamilton (1808).djvu/405

, while in disgrace, to look upon a book. All the lads, especially those who were at a more advanced period, found this species of punishment more intolerable than any manual chastisement that could have been inflicted; and the consequence of this was highly favourable to the master's views. Mr Gourlay having examined the state of each class, distributed to the landlords and head-tenants the premiums provided by Mrs Mason, who devoted to this use part of the money sent by Mr Meriton. These consisted of light hoes, small spades, and other implements of gardening, together with parcels of flower-seeds suited to the season of the year. He next visited the girls school, where, extraordinary as it may appear, Mrs Mason had encountered greater difficulties than had occurred to Morison in the execution of his task. She had indeed, since her residence in Glenburnie, frequently observed, that the female children of the poor had far less appearance of