I was too young to understand much of Mayne Reid, excepting the adventure part and the natural history part--these enthralled me.

But of course my reading was not wholly confined to natural history.

There was very little effort made to compel me to read books, my father and mother having the good sense not to try to get me to read anything I did not like, unless it was in the way of study.

I was given the chance to read books that they thought I ought to read, but if I did not like them I was then given some other good book that I did like.

There were certain books that were taboo.