Village Sketches : [FEB. 



overhung it, in such manner as the image of his sleeping Geraldine is 

 said to have been revealed to Surrey in the magic glass. A beautiful 

 picture it forms at all times that valley of Backham. Fancy a road 

 winding down a hill between high banks,, richly studded with huge 

 forest trees, oak and beech, to a sparkling stream, with a foot bridge 

 thrown across, which runs gurgling along the bottom; then turning 

 abruptly, and ascending the opposite hill, whilst the rich plantations and 

 old paling of a great park " come cranking in" on one side, and two or 

 three irregular cottages go straggling up on the other ; the whole bathed 

 in the dewy sunshine, and glowing with the vivid colouring of autumn. 

 The picture had, at the moment of which I speak, an additional interest, 

 by presenting to our eyes the first human being whom we had seen 

 during our drive (we had heard several) ; one, too, who, although he 

 bore little resemblance to the fair mistress of Lord Surrey, was yet 

 sufficiently picturesque, and in excellent keeping with the surrounding 

 scene. 



It was a robust sturdy old man, his long grey hair appearing between 

 his well-worn hat and his warm but weather-beaten coat, with a large 

 package at his back, covered with oilskin, a bundle of short regular 

 poles in one hand, and a large bunch of thistles in the other ; and even 

 before Mossy, who now made his appearance, and was endeavouring to 

 satisfy his curiosity by pawing and poking the knapsack, thereby awaken- 

 ing the noisy fears of two call-birds, who, together with a large bird- 

 net, formed its contents, before this audible testimony of his vocation, 

 or the still stronger assurance of his hearty good-humoured visage, my 

 companion, himself somewhat of an amateur in the art, had recognized 

 his friend and acquaintance Old Robin, the bird-catcher of B. 



We soon overtook the old man, and after apologizing for Mossy's 

 misdemeanor, who by the way seemed sufficiently disposed to renew the 

 assault, we proceeded at the same slow pace up the hill, holding dis- 

 jointed chat on the badness of the weather these foggy mornings, and 

 the little chance there was of doing much good with the nets so late in 

 the afternoon. To which Robin gave a doleful assent. He was, how- 

 ever, going, he said, to try for a few linnets on the common beyond the 

 Great House, and was in hopes to get a couple of woodlarks from 

 the plantations. He wanted the woodlarks, above all things, for Mrs. 

 Bennet, the alderman's lady of B., whose husband had left the old 

 shop in the Market Place, and built a fine white cottage just beyond 

 the turnpike gate so madam had set her heart on a couple of wood- 

 larks, to hang up in her new shrubbery, and make the place look 

 rural. 



" Hang up, Robin ! Why there is not a tree a foot high in the whole 

 plantation ! Woodlarks ! Why they'll be dead before Christmas." 



" That's sure enough, your honour," rejoined Robin. 



" A soft-billed bird, that requires as much care as a nightingale !" 

 continued my companion " By the way, Robin, have you any nightin- 

 gales now ?" 



" Two, Sir ; a hen " 



" A hen ! That's something remarkable !" 



" A great curiosity, Sir ; for your honour knows that we always set 

 the trap for nightingales by ear like ; the creature is so shy that one can 

 seldom see it, so one is forced to put the mealworm near where one hears 

 the song : and its the most uncommon thing that can be to catch a hen ; 



