“He early showed indications of a fierce temper and a sullen pride, in which respects he resembled not his mother, but her father, who, with the exception of these two faults, was a good and just man.  I have heard of cases in which strong mental traits jump over a generation, and appear in the next one.  I thought, and still think, that my son’s singular peculiarities might be explained in that way.  If you will bear with me, sir, I will give you some illustrations of his character.

“When he was nine years of age, a dear friend, now dead, advised me not to injure so precocious an intellect by too much cultivation, but to put the boy on a farm, where he could divide his time between healthful work and youthful sports, and would be kept away from the contaminating influences of the city, I agreed to make the experiment, though reluctantly, for I could not bear the thought of parting with my child.  An old family acquaintance who owned a farm in Dutchess County, and had no children, was willing to take my boy.

“Little Myndert liked the idea of going into the country, and for two weeks he behaved very well; and his acting father wrote me, that if I could spare the boy, he would like to adopt him as his own.  But the next letter, a week afterward, brought a different story.  It was while Myndert was not put to work, that he behaved so well.  But when the farmer gave him a little hoe, and asked him to grub up a few weeds in the garden, the lad threw it down, and said to the farmer, ‘I hate you.’  This was his favorite expression to those who aroused his displeasure when a child.  The good man was astonished at this insubordination, and tried to persuade Myndert to do as he was told.  But persuasion was useless; and so were the threats with which the farmer tried to frighten him.  As for whipping the boy, he was, like me, too soft-hearted to do that.

“So Myndert became the master there, as he had been here.  His real nature now came out.  From that time until the worthy farmer sent the boy home in despair—­ten weeks later—­he was the wonder and terror of the neighborhood.  Chickens, goslings, and young ducks were killed; boughs of apple trees and other fruit trees were broken down; strawberry beds were entered, and the plants pulled up by the roots; the windows of the village church and schoolhouse were broken with stones; and three fourths of these acts were traced to little Myndert.  He always denied the charges, and put on an air of innocence, which deceived many persons.

“The cunning which he exhibited in doing these malicious acts, and trying to divert suspicion from himself, was truly wonderful in a child of his age.  One day he was caught by a farmer in the act of killing some young chickens; and the owner was so mad, that he whipped the boy soundly.  That very night the farmer’s wood shed was set on fire from the outside; but a heavy rain came on, and put out the flames.  The traces of the fire were plainly to be seen next morning; and the farmer found proofs enough, I fear, to have convicted my son of a felony.