246 



The Country Gefitlemans Magazine 



stretch as far as the eye can see, but here 

 and there a white wooden cross with a faded 

 wreath suspended to it is visible over the 

 waving ears of grain. 



"Two days ago I was at Mezieres 

 (Ardennes). The terrible bombardment to 

 which this town was subjected is still very 

 evident, but many houses have been rebuilt, 

 and the fine church which was very much 

 injured has been restored, with the exception 

 of some of the windows. The Mayor, the 

 Comte de Bethune, being unwell, and con- 

 fined to his chateau a few miles out of town, 

 on the borders of the forest, in which the 

 limits between France and Belgium are so 

 difficult to trace, I had an opportunity to see 

 additional proof of the wealth of the present 

 harvest. A few words in conversation struck 

 me as particularly expressive. It was re- 

 marked that ten consecutive years of such 

 harvest would restore France to her former 

 position, and .a farmer replied, ' Ten con- 

 secutive days of such weather as this, and 

 France is saved.' 



" Wherever I go the greatest gratitude is 

 expressed for the aid rendered by England to 

 the innocent victims of the war, especially 

 through the Daily Ncivs Fund, the Society of 

 Friends, and that Society in which I have the 

 honour to be associated with your lordship. 

 In some places actual starvation w^as warded 

 off" by means of these societies. The mayor 

 of a village told me the other day that the 

 peasantry, when first th(?y saw the seed sent 

 out from England, could scarcely believe 



that the donors were disinterested, while 

 some even suggested that the grain would be 

 found to be worthless. They were, however, 

 persuaded to sow it, and the result has been 

 so successful than in more than one com- 

 mune they are now anxious to know how 

 they can purchase similar seed in future. 

 This will, I am sure, be gratifying informa- 

 tion to those gentlemen who devoted so 

 much time and valuable experience to the 

 selection and purchase of the seed. I have 

 not thought it necessary to weary you with 

 details as to the manner in which I am dis- 

 posing of the balance left in my hands. I 

 will send the receipts and report as to the 

 manner in which the money is expended to 

 INIr Jenkins in the course of a few weeks. In 

 distributing this sum, including the ^^200 

 sent to me a fortnight ago, and the ^100 

 intrusted to me by the Society of Friends, I 

 use my own discretion, the original object of 

 the Seed Fund having necessarily changed 

 with the season. I merely confine the 

 money exclusively to small cultivators for the 

 purchase of anything useful to them in agri- 

 culture. 



"Although at the outset of this .special 

 undertaking, owing to the war of the Com- 

 mune, I was more or less debarred from serv- 

 ing the Seed Fund to the full extent of my 

 v.'ishes, it is a satisfaction to me to feel that I 

 have since been of some use, and that my 

 presence in France has enabled me per- 

 sonally to distribute every shilling committed 

 to me without any deduction for expenses." 



