seems to diminish as we grow older, until it becomes something
scarcely worthy of being called a sense, is nearly as keen in little
children as in the inferior animals, and, when they live with nature,
contributes as much to their pleasure as sight or hearing. I have
often observed that small children, when brought on to low, moist
ground from a high level, give loose to a sudden spontaneous gladness,
running, shouting, and rolling over the grass just like dogs, and I
have no doubt that the fresh smell of the earth is the cause of their
joyous excitement.

Our house was a long low structure, built of brick, and, being very
old, naturally had the reputation of being haunted. A former
proprietor, half a century before I was born, once had among his
slaves a very handsome young negro, who, on account of his beauty and
amiability, was a special favourite with his mistress. Her preference
filled his poor silly brains with dreams and aspirations, and,
deceived by her gracious manner, he one day ventured to approach her
in the absence of his master and told her his feelings. She could not
forgive so terrible an insult to her pride, and when her husband
returned went to him, white with indignation, and told him how this
miserable slave had abused their kindness. The husband had an
implacable heart, and at his command the offender was suspended by the
wrists to a low, horizontal branch of "The Tree," and there, in sight
of his master and mistress, he was scourged to death by his fellow-
slaves. His battered body was then taken down and buried in a deep
hollow at some little distance from the last of the long row of ombu
trees. It was the ghost of this poor black, whose punishment had been
so much heavier than his offence deserved, that was supposed to haunt
the place. It was not, however, a conventional ghost, stalking about
in a white sheet; those who had seen it averred that it invariably