The Merry Past 



product, imbued with all the virtues and prejudices 

 of the type, occasionally leavened by a spice of 

 originality which added to his popularity about the 

 countryside. 



From his house flowed a constant stream of un- 

 ostentatious charity. He knew most of the villagers 

 by name and was a prominent figure at the merry- 

 makings, which were such a feature of old English 

 country life. Not infrequently he had seen a good 

 deal of the Continent before marrying and settling 

 down, and whilst thoroughly contemptuous of foreign- 

 ers and foreign ways could tell many a queer tale of 

 amorous adventure in Spain, or of wild nights amidst 

 the delights of the Palais Royal. 



The fine old English squire was a man whose own 

 happiness was closely connected with that of his 

 domestic dependents, the general prosperity of his 

 tenants, who surrounded his mansion, and the hos- 

 pitable association with his numerous neighbouring 

 friends. His hounds were kept from an instinctive 

 attachment to the sport itself as well as to perpetuate 

 the traditions of his ancestors, and not from the least 

 desire of having his name_ blazoned forth in every 

 part of the county, for keeping what he had neither 

 property to support nor spirit to enjoy. 



His religion, whilst of a simple kind, was thoroughly 

 sincere, whilst his relations with the parson were 

 generally of a pleasant and intimate kind. 



His hospitality, though plain, was good and profuse, 

 whilst he was ever ready to come to the aid of his 

 humbler neighbours did misfortune overtake them. 



29 ! 



