Tissington Hall. 197 



to be upon the fourth arm, for had the worthy road- 

 surveyors not deemed it necessary to extend their in- 

 formation beyond Bakewell, you see we might as well 

 have consulted the Book of Days. 



The entrance to Tissington estate was near the post, 

 and we were very kindly permitted to drive through, 

 which it was said would save several miles and give us 

 a view of another English hall. We managed, how- 

 ever, to take a wrong turn somewhere, and added some 

 eight miles to our journey ; so much the better — the 

 longer the route the happier we were. 



Every English hall seems to have some special feat- 

 ures in which it surpasses all others. This is as it 

 should be, for it permits every fortunate owner to love 

 his home for acknowledged merits of its own. If one 

 has the nobler terrace, another boasts a finer lawn ; 

 and if one has woods and a rookery, has not the other 

 the winding Nith through its borders? One cannot 

 have the best of everything, even upon an English es- 

 tate ; neither can one life have the best possible of every- 

 thing, 



" For ever}'- blade o' grass keps its ain drap o' dew." 



Let us, then, be thankful for our special mercies, 

 and may all our ducks be swans, as friend Edward says 

 mine are. 



Have you never had your friend praise his wife to you 

 in moments of confidence, when you have been fishing 



