Under the Greenwood Tree

an increasing light made itself visible in one of the windows of the upper floor. It came so

er face, her right hand being extended to the side of the window. She was wrapped in a white robe of some kind, whilst down her shoulders fell a twining profusion of marvellously rich hair, in a wild disorder which proclaimed it to be only during the invisible hours of the night that su

d lightly and warmly —“Than

to its place. Her fair forehead and eyes vanished; her little mouth; her neck and shoulde

!” exclaime

k she couldn’t ha’ been co

tual vision as ever I wish

, never see!” sa

oats and adjusting their hats, agreed

d then replenish our inside

aid old William, shou

ch wider than they were high, and this feature, together with a broad bay-window where the door might have been expected, gave it by day the aspe

was reached, and the prel

hirty-two, ‘Behold the Morn

bow-stroke previously to pouring forth the opening chord of the third verse, when

ng row here! A feller wi’ a headache enou

nt the

id the tranter, in a keenly appreciativ

nds of harmony!” commanded old Will

d William firmly. “Give it him well; the

e window opened, and the farmer stood

cried, fiddling frantically. “Play

t Mr. Shiner had said, was saying, or was about to say; but wildly flinging his arms and body about in the

ired. “Never such a dreadful scene in the whole round

in his religious frame. He’s in his worldly frame now. Must ask en to our bit of a party

proceeding further, and they entered the church and ascended to the gallery. The lanterns were opened, and the whole body sat round against the walls on benches and whatever else was available, and made a hearty meal. In the pauses of conversation there co

gain tuned the instruments, and once mo

ick?” said

if Dick might have been transmuted into one or

very nasty of Master Dicky,

nd upon’t,” another suggested, thou

r, and his voice rolled sono

lst listening for an answer, and finding he

o’t without en, you see. But for a quire to lose the treble, why, my sonnies, you may so well

once,” sugge

erile of people to complete sentences when

young man leaving his work half

that he was the last man in the world to wish

y has overtook the lad!

Why that fiddle cost thirty shillings, and good words besides. Somewhere in the damp,

n have happened?” said old William, m

better than let anything happen onawares,” Reuben remarked. “There’s sure to be some poor little scram reason for’t staring us in the face a

uch a body. He’s as

rry,” cried Jimmy, “but live at ho

every lad has sai

cross to the schoolhouse. A light was still burning in the bedroom, and though the blind was down, the window had

h tree, was the lost man, his arms folded, his head th

hat thee? What b

turn east and west in the gloom, as if endeavouring to discern some proper answer

en, upon my body,” said the tranter, as

done having snap in th

ing everywhere, and thinking you’d done fifty death

point of it being nothing a

ived his share of the night’s harmonies. It was hoped that by reason of his profession he would have been led

id old William,

voice was heard exclaiming from inner de

r dull of hearing. Bowman’s voice, being there

villagers!’” cri

r ‘ee the first ti

l the young man’s temper by answe

t, my friends!” t

isper. “Beats any horse or dog in the parish, and de

hat in time,” s

abitant, was anxious to play all the tunes over again; but renounced his d

ouses; “that is, in the form of that young female vision we zeed just now, and this young tenor-voiced parson, my belief is she’ll