66 66 ye get this, Sir?" "I met Thomas Brown carrying it home." What, Sir! that child?" "Yes, Betty." "I can't see, Sir, how he could gather them, the prickles be so sharp.' Why, Betty, you see his father works near some of my fields, and half his time is employed in gathering wood and putting it in a particular corner till the night, and then the boy is sent out as if he went to gather sticks; when, in fact, he is only sent to pick up what the father has been cutting." "That is a bad plan, Sir, that do train them for the gallows. Yes, Betty, and it is less excusable in this parish, because so much care is taken to provide all that is necessary. "To be sure, Sir, there is; it has often been a wonderment to me, the thought and the care that Mr. Lascelles do take, and yet he do never seem satisfied with himself." "No, he grows in humility, and I have no doubt he has such increasing views of man's depravity, and the perfection of Jesus, that after the saying of a good man, he feels poorer! all our righteousness, and all our riches, must be in Him. It is a good thing, Betty, not only for ourselves, but for those with whom we stand connected, when experience shows us our just proportion. I know not well what I shall do with this man w he comes. (Betty) "You must frighten him a little, Sir; I should pick out the young quick, in particular." 66 Brown came up, and taking off his hat, “I heard, Sir, as you had a wish to speak wi' me." "Step in Brown; it is two months since I planted an entire new quick hedge on the western side of the field that joins your master's, and you see what lies on this table. I wish to ask you, Brown, if this is doing as you would be done by? If I were to dig up your potatoes and boil them for my dinner' Aye, Sir, you'll never do that, I'm sure-you are too good for that; besides, Sir, you don't want potatoes, and I do want wood-the wages are so low, and we have had a deal of sickness. "If wages are low, Brown, bread is low, and as for your sickness, that is always provided for in this parish-you have generally physic and food during the whole time, and a very fair allowance." "To be sure, Sir, good night, Sir." " "No, Brown, not so fast, I must have some promise from you not to be so bad a neighbour in future." (Brown) "Dear Sir, how can you tell as I took it out of your hedge?" "I leave that with your own conscience, Brown; from whatever hedge it was taken, you have done very wrong, and it will be easy for me to de tect you directly by a walk to my field; it is unpardonable in this parish, and shows an innate love of mischief. I hope you feel that it is wrong, you may depend upon it I shall not pass by another offence of this kind." Brown was glad to escape, and Betty said, "Dear me, Sir, you should have given him a good rally, he won't mind that at all. Did you hear as the shopkeepers were selling off at prime cost?" "Are they going to quit then?" Why, sir, they've had a fortune left 'em; a kind of a miserly uncle as hav'nt allowed himself bread and cheese, used often to come and dine there, and to have the best as the shop did afford, and he was so perticler pleased with the kind entertainment as they did give him, that he have left 'em every thing that he had, and they do say as neighbour Shouldam will ride in his carriage. "And do you think, Betty, he will be happier than he is now?" "Oh, dear no, Sir, I'm sure Jenny Shouldam will miss the gossip sadly." Joseph Kemp, who continued the same character, was not confided in by his brother, who clearly saw that he was one of those persons who must always be directed. He was grieved at this, for he would gladly have provided for Joe, but he was in perpetual danger of making some foolish mis G |