History of St. Rollox School, Glasgow; Together with Memorabilia of Same, and a Poetical Sketch of the Old School and Its Notabilities

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1876 edition. Excerpt: ... An Unpleasant Fellow. 113 still present to our mind, just as the fragrance of some fair flower we have felt at times seems to affect our sense of smell, though the flower itself may long have lain--'Scentless and dead.' In direct antithesis to this was the character exemplified by Andrew. This boy, our schoolfellow too, would attempt in every way but the right one to sway our councils, although his attempts were nearly always futile, or carried only a negative influence. Aware of the fact that he was possessed of no moral suasion, he sought to meet his deficiency in this respect by coercion. The slave of a fierce temper, which kindled into fury on the slightest provocation or opposition to his wishes, and, when in such fiery moods, utterly regardless of the injury he inflicted upon his playfellows, --kicking and plunging at all hands, --it must be owned that Andrew was considerably more dreaded than respected, and his fractious, bullying disposition had full play for a long time, until, in an evil moment, his weak point was discovered under circumstances which, on the face of them, did not seem calculated to bring about such a result. Some trifling cause had given Andrew occasion for his usual ebullition of wrath, and he was about to annihilate the offender, a little Irish boy who sometimes kept company with us, when the culprit, in the extravagant manner of his country, popped down on his knees and in Hibernian patois began to beseech his irate foe for pity. All in vain, --Andrew was a stranger to that sentiment, --and matters looked serious indeed for the suppliant, until in his agony he clutched Andrew's left hand in both his own and held on firmly. Andrew's right wrist had a malformation about it, but it had never teen known until the