Tom Brown at Oxford

what's a

euce shoul

ch he had had on his mind for some time. He was scarcely satisfied with the above rejoinder, but while he was thinking how to come at the subject by another road, Drysdale opened a morocco fly-book, and poured its contents on the table, which was alr

des, if they're not, it's a jolly drive to Fairford at any rate. You'v

ut my two

ctures! Put on

n't suit my bo

r. Well, if you won't, you won't; I know that well e

flies do

two, someti

hink, than the old March brown and a palmer to begin with. Then, for change, this hare's ear, and an alder fly, per

for the alder?

ps; but they c

ny good?" said Drysdale, throwing s

d lot," said Tom, picking out half a-dozen. "You never know when you may not kill with

turned to t

, you must know wh

ou mean one of our

es

orter, and below the cook, and butler. He does the don's dirty work, a

ion. He was astonished and hurt at the tone of his friend. Howeve

s are gentlem

m, I should think. But I have not the h

y are undergradua

es

degrees, just

servitor for passing little-go for one. It would be deuced comfortable. I wonder it don't strike th

s we can, and are, in fact, just what we are, undergraduates, I can't see why they're not

le," said the incorrigible payer of dou

he Black Prince was an Oxford man, and he thought the

ow, he would chang

ld tell me what you r

sda

lack Prince might be pleased to observe if he were here, I stick to my

t belie

you wo

elieve you

hat makes you so cur

ardy, one of our servitors.

that it cost Tom an

despised himsel

ng of the sort. You've a good bit of a Quixote in you. But really, Brown," he added, seeing Tom redden and loo

ntleman by a long w

such a small fence on my account. I will put it in another

you live with th

hunting and driving, and drawing badgers, and playing cards, and good wine and cigars. They hunt and

ten, for I've heard you say as much half-a-d

lung his legs up on the sofa, crossing one over the other as he lounged on his back-his favorite att

the first boat if you liked; I heard them

of that? Besides, it's such a grind. And then

d work," said Tom, who was bent

ine don't suit my complaint. No, as my uncle says, 'a young fellow must sow his wild o

hat ground, up they will come, with long tough roots like couch grass, and luxuriant stalks and leaves, as sure as there is a sun in heaven-a crop which it turns one's heart cold to think of. The devil, too, whose special crop they are, will see that they thrive, and you, and nobody else, will have to reap them; and no common reaping will get them out of the soil, which must be dug down deep again and again. Well for you if with all your care you can make the ground sweet again by your dying day. "Boys will b

rship of the golden calf was verily and indeed rampant in Oxford-side by side, no doubt, with much that was manly and noble, but tainting more or less the whole life of the place. In fact, what annoyed him most was, the consciousness that he himself was becoming an idolater. For he couldn't help admitting that he felt much more comfortable when standing in the quadrangles or strolling in the Hi

leeping soundly, or from getting up an hour earlier th

cout, bearing overcoats, a splendid water-proof apron lined with fur, and the rods and reels, sallied out of the college, and sought the livery stables, patronized by the men of St. Ambrose's. Here they found a dog cart all ready in the yard, with a strong Roman-nosed, vicious-looking, rat-tailed horse in the shafts, called Satan by Drysdale; the leader had been sent on to the first turnpike. The things were packed, and Jack, the bull-d

le, catching his long tandem wh

aid the head ostler

em as he followed, and watched the dog cart lessening rapidly down the empty street, and heard the notes of the yard of tin,

ce on Miller's mind, by delivering Blake's message to that choleric coxswain as soon as chapel was over. Miller vowed for the twentieth

y wind; and the thought of the lucky fishermen, and visions of creels fill

oat. But, great, no doubt, as was the glory, the price was a heavy one. This was the first time he had been subjected to the tender mercies of Miller, the coxswain, or had pulled behind the Captain; and it did not take long to convi

n the stern, the fiery little coxswain, leaning forward with a tiller-rope in each hand, and bending to every stroke, shouting his warnings, and rebukes, and monitions to Tom, till he drove him to his wits' end. By the time the boat came back to Hall's, his arms were so numb that he could hardly tell whether his oar was in or out of his hand; his legs were stiff and aching, and every muscle in h

ting-coat, and appeared at the door of his own sitting-room, where he paused a moment to contemplate the scene which met his astonished vision. His fire recently replenished, was burning brightly in the grate, and his candles on the table on which stood his whisky bottle, and tumblers, and hot water. On his sofa, which had been wheeled round before the fire, reclined Drysdale, on his back, in his pet attitude, one leg crossed over the o

? We looked into the bed-room, and thought it was empty. Sit down, old fell

ol hands, I must say," said

back our fires were out, and we've been all round the college, and found all the oaks sported but yours. Never spo

ow," said Tom, taking his seat on

. Never got into college till near one. I thought we should never have waked

id Tom; "but how

er thrown a fly all

Blake. "What with that, and his awful twist, and his incurable habit of go

ou talking of my twist, indeed; you ate four chops and a wh

nd, as usual, Drysdale began chumming with him. He knew all about the fishing of the next three counties. I daresay he did. My private belief is, that he is one of the Hungerford town council, who let the fishing there; at any rate, he swore it was no use our going to Fairford; the only place where fish would be in season was Hungerford. Of course Dr

en, but for accidents

don, instead of Hungerford, both horses dead done up, at

d put in your oar

but, luckily, about two miles from Farringdon, old Satan bowled quietly into a bank, broke a shaft, and deposited us then and there. He wasn't such a f

an to say you ever sat behind a better

ver sat behind him in a good

a dog-cart, on any road out of Oxford, aga

" said

said Tom. "How did y

r sharp, and came right upon a gipsy encampment. Up she went into the air in a moment, and then turned right around and came head on at the cart. I gave her the

who had come up very naturally to have a look at what was going on. Down jumps Drysdale to see that his beast gets fair pl

thinking of turning tramp, Brown. We spent three or four hours in that camp, and Blake got spooney on a

get the cart me

is mouth; and the old brown parchment of a mother, with her head in a red handkerchief, smoking a ditto pipe to the tinker's, who told our fortunes, and talked like a printed book. Then there was his wife, and the slip of a girl who bowled over Blake there, and half a dozen ragged brats; and a fellow on a tramp, not a gipsy-some runaway

ke the servant g

comes. You begin then; here's a song," and he ha

on a gr

bench or

g or

of eve

s we

or mend a

hat d'y

out, my p

your sciss

tells yo

your bar

ter or y

your hus

ome or u

coach an

it in

that's I, for the pr

e; and

what can th

what can t

hat can the

a pucke

uneasy about

casualty des

he gipsy as tel

the mind f

gipsy woman, Mother Patric

s the tune

m, who was dropping into the humour of the t

rs to

airs t

om'd cane

s to

appr

u woul

the

ign to

rysdale, nodding at B

ds us, chan

e land i

ing, nag

here w

ding, ass

than the

king, pipe

barn a

nk, a ti

s full of

nk, a ti

y hamme

nk, a tin

ll soon be

une we

er and th

, as Sil

what can th

what can t

hat can the

ch a look

clare I be all

gives me about

d wench neither

ng Billy t

Mother

your

how yo

d yo

te has

n for

av'n f

may

ines po

as the

sant, all'

comes am

bit, snar

r hen,

with st

supper

g and se

is our

, with a

s dog as

him up,

er on h

him in

of meat

him nice

ny tans

, as Sil

! what a

what a c

! what a

d forsa

nses, and nought

ll Ady who helpe

eans, for no power

me reveng

Mother

se a

n,

me

tars

ove's

et run

shall

vor'd

as the

nk, a ti

and then ge

nk, on e

y hamme

k, a tin

lives a

g and r

py as

, as Sil

all will

all will e

all will e

be const

dame, here's my pu

l Ady and fat

mp over the st

I be read

Mother

liam

h and

hall

stant

k no

ank yo

hose

es I

house down? I'm going to send for dress

tramp, singing

me out-of-the-way place

aid Tom; "it'll he a good lark, though. N

t camp at a

ted a sovereign from Drys

, by about seven, and there we had dinner; and after dinner the old boy came in. He and I are great chums, for I'm often there, and always ask him in. But that beggar Bl

t of ancestors one must have had at tha

was, he scattered snuff enough to fill a pint pot over him out of his mull, and began talking Gaelic

the purest Gaelic,"

"but old Murdock was too pleased at hearing his own cl

embers more than about five words of h

lative, as his daughter had cut up his old kilt for 'trews for the barnies' during his absence from home. Then they took to more toddy and singing Scotch songs, till at eleven o'clock they were standing

toorey a

rey, wug-a

oin us, and tumbled over the back of h

ap, which was ordered to be at the door at half-past ten. I found Murdock's ostler very drunk, but sober compared with that rascally help whom we had been fools enough to take with us. They had got the trap out and the horses in, but that old rascal Satan was standing so quiet that I suspected something wrong. Sure enough, when I came to

ut Jack up behind. He made six shots with the old dog, and dropped him abou

er we got off at last, and hadn't gone a mile before the help (who was maundering away some cursed sentimental ditty or other behind), lu

n tumbled off and you never f

it isn't so bad as you think. We had no lamps, and

w leant against me until he made his exit, and I'd have backed myself to

broken his ne

hen Blake shouted, he rebuked him piously out of the pitch darkness, and told him to go home and repent. I nearly dropped off the box laughing at th

ake; "For I should dearly have like

er minute. So Blake scrambled up, and away we came, and kn

id Tom, who had been hugely amused; "but I sho

I'll be bound," said Drysda

ing at his watch and gett

ver heard you say t

p this morning before the worl

Tom to sport his oak this time

minutes. Blake, by the help of wet towels and a knotted piece of whipc