134 AN AMERICAN FARMER IN ENGLAND 



seems latterly out of fashion. What improved type of char 

 acter does it indicate, that the rich oftener prefer now to make 

 their tribute to public opinion, by having their gift-money 

 used while they yet live, and the amount of it paraded with 

 their names in the newspapers. Their &quot; left hands,&quot; probably, 

 do not read the newspapers. 



I was disappointed in not finding my friends at this 

 village, but soon after leaving it met two Germans travelling 

 on foot, who said they had met, at three hours back, two 

 gentlemen w r ho wore hats and, knapsacks like mine. I feared 

 that, not hearing from me at Salisbury, they would conclude 

 1 had gone on by Cirencester, to spend Sunday on the Isle of 

 Wight, and would go by the five-o clock train to overtake 

 me. It was therefore necessary that I should hasten in to 

 arrest them. I yet made two or three stoppages, once to con 

 verse with a shepherd, and once to sketch the outlines of a 

 group of cottages, intending to take the coach, which I was 

 told would be passing hi a few minutes. But when coming 

 up a hill, I rose the fine spire of the cathedral, and found that 

 it was three miles distant, and the coach still not in sight, I 

 strapped tight my knapsack and went the rest of the way at 

 &quot; double quick.&quot; Teamsters stopped their wagons as I met 

 them, children at the cottage-doors called their mothers to 

 help look at me, and at the office of the &quot; Wilts Game Law 

 Reporter,&quot; as I entered the town, taking the middle of the 

 street, a fat old gentleman in top-boots eagerly took out his 

 watch and timed me, evidently supposing it was some inter 

 esting affair on a wager. Finding the post-office, but not 

 finding any note for me, I hastened on still to the station, 

 which was well out of the town on the other side, and which 

 I reached at the same moment with the delaying stage-coach. 

 The train started a moment after. The policeman in at 

 tendance was certain that no persons such as I described had 



