THE AMATEUR TRAMP IN ENGLAND 139 



shunned alike by the railroad and the land-jobber, 

 though it would seem, in the mania for sleeping in 

 the country, that wealthy city people, from the banker 

 to the shopkeeper, would have settled down upon 

 them everywhere like gold-laden locusts. 



No ; the lucky Londoner can hardly go far wrong 

 in his choice of a country walk. A more or less 

 moderate expense lands him at some eligible starting- 

 point ; and thence he can wander away at his own 

 sweet will, sure to find himself when he has had nearly 

 enough of it, within easy reach of a station, from 

 which he may comfortably return. Nor would we 

 carry our love of solitude or retirement to extremes. 

 A modest hostelry, of good reputation, adds a singular 

 charm to the loveliest landscapes ; and we should be 

 inclined to shape our course for the day by our 

 knowledge of the bearings of the " Hart " or the 

 u Lion." Desultory disquisition and purposeless 

 dawdling are of the very essence of this our literary 

 ramble ; so we may be forgiven if we pause to say 

 a word on the insinuating charms of the suburban 

 hostelry. In point of architecture and situation, these 

 establishments are various enough ; but it is seldom 

 that they have not a certain air of comfort, and 

 bright, hearty hospitality. The cheerful stucco of 

 the facade is by no means to be objected to in a 

 climate where the glare of the sun is rarely oppres- 

 sive. Moreover, there is sure to be abundance 

 of shade : the spreading boughs from an adjacent 

 copse throw their limbs over the roofs of the stable 



