12 THE WILD-FLOWERS OF SELBORNE 



for in its passage down the waggon was robbed of 

 about £^o in value." Again and again he writes to 

 Molly for "half a hundred of good salt fish," or "five 

 good Iceland codfishes," to be sent down by carrier. 

 On one occasion a great calamity occurred. "We 

 thank you," he writes, " for the salt fish, which proves 

 more white and delicate than usual. Instead of in a 

 parcel, the cod came down in a barrel, which, being 

 leaky, let the brine out on the kitchen floor. I there- 

 fore told Thomas he should carry it into the cellar. 

 Thomas, without much thought, took the barrel by 

 the hoops and got to the cellar stairs, when off came 

 the hoops, down fell the barrel, out flew the head ; 

 in short, the stairs from top to bottom became one 

 broken, wet scene of barrel-staves and codfish." Other 

 household matters sometimes occupy the attention of 

 our naturalist. He is busy making catchup from the 

 mushrooms gathered in the park below the Hanger; 

 or he is superintending the brewing of his strong beer, 

 or "bottling out some very fine raisin wine," or "half 

 an hogshead of Mrs. Atherley's port," which had, he 

 notices, " not quite so good a smell and flavour as 

 usual, and seemed always to show a disposition to 

 mantle in the glass." His garden is a source of con- 

 stant pleasure and attention to him. He writes to 

 Molly about his cucumbers, asparagus, the prospect 

 of his wall-fruit, or the fine show his tulips are mak- 

 ing. We catch a glimpse of Goody Hampton, " the 

 weeding-woman," whose services White proposes to 

 retain for the summer, " that the garden may be neat 

 and tidy" when Molly comes. "This is the person," 

 he adds, "that Thomas says he likes as well as a 

 man ; and, indeed, excepting that she wears petticoats, 

 you would think her a man ! " Various improvements 



