An Only Son Author:William Kennedy General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1832 Original Publisher: L.C. Bowles Subjects: English fiction History / General Literary Criticism / European / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. W... more »hen you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: CHAPTER II. At the age of nine my aunt Rebecca's visitera professed to consider me a prodigy of learning; and the good woman took infinite delight in seeing me display the treasures of knowledge I had acquired under her care. Every stranger, or casual guest, was called upon to sit in judgment on iny abilities, and to hear me recite psalms, and chapters, and answers to catechetical questions. Diffidence, united to the natural love of relaxation, gave me a rooted dislike to these exhibitions. I contemplated the appearance of a new face with dismay, and resorted to many a disingenuous evasion to escape the threatened ordeal. My father had for some time perceived the neccessity of furnishing me with a more competent medium of instruction than my excellent, enthusiastic aunt. Conceiving the selection to be a matter of primary importance, he proceeded with caution. H continued to entertain the opinion that it was perilous to place one of my years at a public seminary. On the other hand, private tuition was accompanied by startling expense. True it was that Iwas an only child, and how could my interest be better consulted than by a liberal outlay on my education ? To so promising a lad, academic lore would be the stepping-stone to distinction. The advice of his clergyman terminated his hesitation. A tutor, recommended by the Rev. Mr Thorpe, was engaged at an annual allowance of twenty-five pounds and his board. 1 was transferred to his control with much formality. An...« less