DICK ROOK. 193 



of the world, you passed your life contributing to 

 the happiness of the poor, and the recreations of 

 the young. Your kindly feelings were rewarded 

 by the love of those around you, who seem to 

 have joined in your favourite and innocent pur- 

 suits, for the mere pleasure of adding to your gra- 

 tification. The hoary labourer watched for the 

 arrival of your favourite bird, while each little 

 urchin hastened to you with the tidings of a fern- 

 owl's nest, or brought some trilling offering of 

 Nature's creation. Here, in the shades of Sel- 

 borne, (e so lovely and sweet," you wrote that 

 charming volume which has delighted thousands, 

 and will continue to delight thousands yet unborn. 

 Who could not envy such a life ? Peace, happi- 

 ness, and tranquillity, were the result of your piety 

 and benevolence ; and you died at a good old age, 

 regretted and beloved by all who knew you, and 

 retaining your fondness for the charms of rural 

 scenery and rural objects to the last moment of 

 your life. 



It was now growing late, and I hastened to the 

 place where we had all agreed to meet. Our ren 

 dezvous was a little alehouse, and on arriving there, 

 I found the party waiting for me, and the produce 

 of the day's shooting displayed on the ground to 

 the best advantage. Here I found Dick in a scrape. 

 He looked somewhat sulky; and his benefactor 

 was evidently angry with him. The fact was, that 



K 



