GROWTH OF A NEW ENGLAND. 63 



owe anybody a farthing, and he never meant 

 to. "Why should I see a lawyer"?" he asked. 

 "I've known you since you were a boy, and 

 that's enough for me." 



But as the estate agent insisted upon 

 refusing the money until a conveyance had 

 been drawn up by a lawyer, the poor man 

 walked away with his burden of gold, sighing 

 profoundly, as many an educated man has done, 

 over the mysteries of land purchase. 



The personal factor in the neighbourliood 

 of Evesham entering into the contract between 

 tenant and owner has certainly made for the 

 social welfare of the neighbourhood. An 

 experienced agent, who, on driving round the 

 owner's estates, has a keen enough agricultural 

 eye to observe which holdings are well tilled 

 and which are indifferently done, is of some con- 

 siderable value to the landowner ; but he would 

 not fulfil his function as adviser to the tenant 

 as well as to the owner, if his duty stopped 

 at merely giving notice to an undesirable 

 tenant to quit. A good agent will inquire 

 at a neighbour's holding. " What's the matter 

 with Charlie ?" he will ask (for he knows them 

 all by name). " His land is getting dirty." 



" Oh, he's got the hump," may be the 



