steam fill and darken the place. That busy and exciting achievement accomplished, it was only natural to wish to see the body of the cart set upon its wheels; or that of the wagon on its wheels; and all the painting in blue and scarlet with which farmers love to have their vehicles adorned, done in its bravery.

Such were some of the principal trades of the hamlet that used to seize upon my attention and absorb many a pleasant hour. There were others, indeed, as stocking-weaving, and hoop-shaving; but these were the main attractions. I must not, however, close this chapter without a mention of a certain old Jack-of-all-trades, who was always to be had for the asking, and was a never-failing resource when I wanted something to do, and somebody to help or amuse me. Many a lad will recollect such a most useful and agreeable old fellow as William Woolley; and happy is the village that has such an accomplished and accommodating person in it. Where the old man came from I can't tell; for he was not a native of the place, though he had been in it more years than I had lived. He was a little man, with remarkably white hair and pink complexion; dressed in a blue coat and waistcoat; a hat of a broadish brim, that regularly took a turn up behind. He invariably wore white lamb's-wool stockings and buckled shoes, and walked with a cane. It was evident that the old man was not a worker,-Sundays and week-days he always dressed the He lived in a small cottage in a retired garden; and his wife was employed in nursing; so that he generally had the place all to himself, and was as glad of a companion as I was. He was a florist; his garden displayed showy beds of the most splendid auriculas, tulips and polyanthuses: and it was a great delight to me to help him in weeding his beds of a pleasant sunny morning; arranging his glasses;

same.

I

and to listen to all his praises of his favourite flowers. verily believed that no such flowers were to be found elsewhere in the kingdom. But the place which I should have desired to penetrate into more than all was his bed-room. This seemed to be a perfect treasury of all sorts of good and curious things. Nuts and apples, walnuts, stuffed birds, walking-sticks, fishing-rods, flower seeds of curious sorts, and various other desirable things from time to time, came forth from thence in a manner which only made one desire to see how many others were left behind. But into that sanctum honest William never took anybody. If my father wanted a walking-stick, he had only to give the slightest hint to William, and presently after he would be seen coming in with a nice stick with its hook neatly turned, and the whole varnished as bright as the flower of the meadow crowfoot. What, indeed, was his delight but to saunter through the wood with his eyes on the watch for good sticks; or for curious birds; or to go along the meadows by the stream, angling and talking to some village listener like myself, about a hundred country things, in a quiet way. People called him an idle man; because he never was at work on anything that brought him in a penny. But he had no family to provide for; and his wife got enough; and they might have something besides for aught I know; and why should he work for what he did not want? In my eyes he seemed, and seems still, one of the wisest sort of men. He passed his time in innocent and agreeable occupations. His flowers, and his bees, and his birds, for he had two or three that used to hang by the side of his cottage residence of fine days, and sing with all their might; they were his constant delight. He knew where a fish was to be caught, or a rare bird to be seen; and if you wanted a fishing-rod, or a stick, he was a happier

44

BOY'S COUNTRY-BOOK.

man to give you one than you were to receive it. There were a hundred little things that he was ever and anon manufacturing, and giving to just the people that they would most please. A screw nut-crack! was not that the very thing to delight a lad like me? A bone apple-scoop, why it was a treasure to some old person! A mouse-trap, or a mole-trap, or a fly-cage-he was the man that came quietly walking in with it just as you had been lamenting the want of it. Nay, he was the man to set them, and come regularly to look after them, till they had done what they were wished to do; and if you wanted a person to carry a message, or go on some important little matter to the next village, you thought directly of William Woolley, and he was sure to be in the way, and ready to take his stick and be off about it as seriously and earnestly as if he were to have ample reward for it. And an ample reward he had the belief that he was of service to his neighbour.

Honest old William! he was one of a simple and truehearted generation, and of that generation one of the simplest and the truest. Peace to his memory, he was

O! I remember that house; a nice old-fashioned house, as I have already described it; and that very little window too. It was a window that looked out just on the southeast, over the garden, and the orchard, and down the

valley, right away between the green fields. O! how deliciously the sun came streaming in there of a spring morning. All the little chamber was full of the warm light; all about I saw the flickering of boughs and leaves; the fluttering, flitting wings of birds; and all about were the cheerful chirpings and songs of birds too. I wish I could describe the happy and delicious feelings of that time. How light I felt in heart and limb; how all the world seemed made to rejoice in. As I lay and thought for a few moments, what were the images that came pouring into my bosom like the sunshine itself? Thoughts of a beautiful world all about me; of a hundred green and delicious places; of bright skies; running sparkling waters; of the affectionate parents and kind family that made my home a bower of love and delight to me; of my elder brothers at school though distant; of my little brother Claude, who though a mere child began to stroll about the garden and the nearer crofts with me, and looked up to me as a very champion of strength, and fountain of entertaining knowledge; of my brave comrades of the village; and of the many simple, worthy, old-fashioned people scattered about in their cottages, that were ready to answer all my inquiries, and shew me all that they knew.

When I sprung up to dress, how light and nimble were my limbs. O at that age one does not feel the heaviness of the earth of which we are made. Our bodies seem only spirit and life: they are ready to leap; to fly; to see all, do all, enjoy all that the glad world has to present before them; and weariness and sleep only come together, and come then with a sweetness to which our very pleasures in after years have no pretence. When up I jumped, and threw open that little casement; what an elysium lay before me! The sun shining, the birds singing; the soft