THE FARM-HOUSE. 93 



Great trees grew up at its side, and these the farmer was not 

 allowed to fell or trim the landlord estimating the value of 

 their increase as timber or for fuel, or their advantage as a 

 nursery of game, higher than the injury they caused to the 

 crops in the adjoining fields. Near the house the road or lane 

 widened, and one side was lined by a thick symmetrical yew- 

 hedge, separating it from a garden ; on the other side, how 

 ever, the trees and high bank still continued, and two stout 

 horses were straining every muscle to draw a cart-load of 

 crushed bones through the mire, which reached close up to the 

 gable-end of the house. Opposite the house was a cider-mill, 

 cart-sheds, and some stacks : behind it, a large court, sur 

 rounded by stables, sties, dairy-house, malt-house, granary, 

 &c. Into this enclosure we passed by a great gate : a consid 

 erable part of it was occupied by a large heap of manure and 

 a pool of green stagnant liquid. The buildings were mostly 

 old, some of them a good deal decayed, with cracks in the 

 brick-work, timber bending and sustained by props and other 

 patch-work, which spake better for the tenant than his land 

 lord. 



By a wide open door, directly from this filthy yard, we 

 passed without ceremony into the kitchen a large, long room 

 with stone floor, black beams across the low ceiling, from 

 which hung sides and hams of pork, a high settle, as usual, 

 but not the ordinary kitchen display of bright metal and 

 crockery. Old and well worn, every thing, but neat and nice 

 as brand-new. On a table was a huge loaf with a large piece 

 of cold fat bacon and a slice of cheese, and directly a maid 

 came up from the cellar and added to these viands a pint of 

 foaming beer dinner or supper for the carter just returning 

 from the town, whither he had gone early in the morning 

 with a load of wool, and had now brought back bone-manure. 



We are seated in a little parlour, and the &quot; wench&quot; (a 



