Wessex Tales

ere a sharp ascent breaks its monotony. Farmershomeward-bound from the former mark

an in the prime of life, cleanly shaven like an actor, hisface being toned to that bluish-vermilion hue which so often gracesa thriving farmer's features when returning home after successfuldealings in the town

creeping on at a snail'space, and continually looking behind him--the heavy bundle hecarried being some excuse for, if not the reason of, hisdilatoriness. When the bouncing gig-party slowed at the bottom ofthe incline above mentioned,

rmer, though he seemed annoyed at theboy's persistent presence, did not order him to get out of the way;and thus the lad preceded them, his hard gaze never le

ad stared at me!'

r; I saw th

of the villag

d. I think he lives with h

who we are

to be stared at just at

looked at us in thehope we might relieve him

weight in it. Now, then, another mile and Ishall be able to show you our house in the distance--if it is nottoo dark before we get there.' The wheels spu

lanesome mile and half short of the white farmstead, ascended to

ing at the outlying dairy,and was washing c

nt,' she said, without pr

abbage-net, and asshe filled its meshes with the d

quite

she la

more. A la

she

ed up, and her ways

at colour is her

h, and her face as com

hen, are not d

outh is very nice and red; and whe

l?' said the

see. She was

: she's sureto be there. Go early and notice her walkin

But why don't you go

f she were to passmy window this instant. She was

he same a

no notic

Non

himoff for Holmstoke church. He reached the ancient little pile

Farmer Lodge came nearly last; and his youngwife, who accompanied him, walked up the a

ixed upon her, the youth's

mother said, 'Well?' befo

l. She is rather

is mother, wit

pretty--very. In f

wife had evidently made animpression ev

dthe table-cloth. The hare you caught is very tender; but mind that

n 'em. She never to

she wear t

for very shame at the noise, and pulled it in to keepit from touching; but when she pushed into her seat, it whewed morethan ever. Mr. Lodge, he se

owever, that

the quarter wherethe farmhouse lay. Neither did she, at the daily milking in thedairyman's yard on Lodge's outlying second farm, ever speak on thesubject of the recent marriage. The dairyman, who rented the cowsof Lodge, and knew perfectly the tall milkmaid's history, with manlykindliness always kept the gossip