Under the Greenwood Tree

ide of a ripe ribstone-pippin; though a narrow strip of forehead, that was protected from the weather by lying above the line of his hat-brim, seemed to belong to some town man, so gentleman

ncerning him, “Ah, there’s that good-hearted man — open as a child!” If they saw him just after losing a shilling or half-a-crown, or accidentally letting fall a piece of crockery, they thought,

on by the toughness of the job I had in cleaving ’em.” As he spoke he threw down an armful of logs which fell in the chimney-corner with a rumble, and looked at

against lime and stone. He also wore a very stiff fustian coat, having folds at the elbows and shoulders as unvarying in their arrangement as those in a pair of bellows: the ridges and the projecting parts of the coat collectively exhibiting a shade different from that of the hollows, which were lined with small ditch-like accumulations of stone and mortar-dust. The extremely large side-pockets, sheltered beneath wide flaps, bulged out convexly whether empty or full; and as he was often engaged to work at buildings far away — hi

start, I suppose?” said William, pointing to a h

rt,” said the c

aser — always. I can mind him ever si

and worth a mint o’ p

at times to seize en and tear en all to linnit. Ay

d Mr. Spinks; “but when you come to

n make of the martel. Half-an-hour’s hammering at

ing in the depths of a large side-pocket. “If so be I hadn’t been as scatter-brained and thirtingill as a chiel, I shoul

head ominously. Mr. Spinks was considered to be a scholar, hav

t o’ this last too, if you don’t mind, Mrs. Dewy.” He drew forth a last, an

ll, when ‘a died, I used the last for Geoffrey, and have ever since, though a little doctoring was wanted to make it do. Yes, a very queer natured last it is now, ‘a b’lieve,” he continued, turning it over caressingly. “Now, you notice that there” (pointing to a lump of leather bradded to the toe), “that’s a very bad bunion that he’ve had ever since ‘a was

the hand had no connection with the person speaking; and bringing his sentence to an abrupt close,

have called at the school”— here he went groping again in the depths of his pocket

a boot — small, light, and prettily shaped —

schoolmis

neat a little figure of fun as ev

n, as all glances present converged like whee

that alone were his auditor; “’tis she that’s come here

her to be here Christm

ere she is,

ere — so I do!” chirrup

quired, with s

nd he talked o’ getting her jist to come over and help him hand about the plat

walk to church in tomorrow morning. I don’t care to mend boots I don’t make; b

lexible bend at the instep, the rounded localities of the small nestling toes, scratches from careless scampers now forgotten — all, as repeated in the tell-tale leathe

t and that last, although that is so deformed as hardly to recall one of God’s creatures, and this is one of as pretty a pair as you

ld likeness — a fantastical likeness,” said Spinks. “B

djusted his

e once on this very point. You used t

ure; I

ut not being able to pitch it just there had gone in flop over his head. Men looked at en; women looked at en; children looked at en; nobody knowed en. He was covered wi’ a sheet; but I catched sight of his voot, just showing out as they carried en

k of that!” s

long-headed, in fact, as far as feet do go. I know little, ’tis true — I

ler, then, than mankind in

n lives and learns. Maybe I’ve read a leaf or two in my time. I don’t

ve read sommat of everything a’most, and have been a great filler of young

ay be from much perusing, but I make no boast — that by the time a man’s head is

ify that if his head was not fini

. “Rot me, my sonnies, then, if I can tell what a m

ight line with William’s eye and the mouth of a miniature cavern he was discerning in the fire. “By the way,” he continued in a fresher voice, and looking up, “th

er face?” sai

can hardly gainsay. A very good pink face, as far as th

, and have done wi’ her,” said the tranter, again