104 AN AMERICAN FARMER IN ENGLAND. 



CHAPTER XII. 



BREAKFAST AT THE INN. A TALE OF HIGH LIFE. THE GARDEN OF THE INN. 



AN OLD FARM-HOUSE. TIMBER HOUSES. LABOURERS COTTAGES. WAT 

 TLES AND NOGGIN WALLS. A &quot; FERME ORNEE.&quot; A LAWN PASTURE. COP 

 PER-LEAVED BEECHES. TAME BLACK CATTLE. APPROACH TO CHESTER. 



T RETURNED to my room in the inn, and had written a 

 -*- page or two of this before any one was stirring. Then I 

 heard the mistress waking the servants, and soon after &quot;John 

 the boots&quot; came to my door to call me, as I had requested 

 him to. 



After with difficulty prevailing upon the landlady and her 

 daughter to breakfast with us, we had a very sociable time 

 with them over the tea and eggs which they had prepared for 

 us. They were interested to hear of the hard coal we burned 

 (anthracite) that made no smoke, and of wood fires, and of 

 our peculiar breakfast dishes, griddle-cakes, and Indian bread. 

 They told us of other members of their family two or three 

 in Australia and of the clergy and gentry of the neighbour 

 hood. They spoke kindly and respectfully of the vicar &quot; a 

 sporting man, sir, and fond of good living,&quot; the old lady 

 added, after mentioning his charity and benevolence. In 

 speaking of the gentry, it was difficult for her to believe that 

 we did not know the general history of all the families. We 



asked about a park we had passed. It was Park, and 



had a remarkable story to be told of it ; but so constantly 

 did she anticipate our knowledge, taking for granted that we 



