370 A FARMER'S YEAR 



that any inspector who took an interest in his work could make 

 even worse discoveries in the Eastern counties. 1 



October 16. Last night it was wet, and this morning very 

 wet. The rain has come at last, and with it the autumn, for the 

 beeches have turned suddenly sere and the Wood-pigeons begin 

 to haunt the lawn, although not in anything like the numbers in 

 which I have sometimes seen them. Generally they appear at 

 the dinner-hour, or on Sunday, when there are no gardeners about. 

 First one flies down from the trees and begins to hunt for beech- 

 mast among the fallen leaves ; then comes another and another, 

 until the whole lawn is dotted with their beautiful blue shapes ; 

 indeed, I have counted up to a hundred of them at one time. 

 They do not mind the house, for they will strut about quite close 

 to the windows, but their sentinels are set upon the surrounding 

 trees, and the moment that a human being appears, off they fly 

 with a mighty clapping of wings. 



It is a dreary day a day when the mind takes the colour 

 of the sky and dwells, not on successes, but on failures, not on 

 hopes of happiness, but on recollections of sorrow and dreary 

 prognostications. The lesson that is hid in the turmoil of the tem- 

 pest, the lashing of the rain, the falling leaves, the dying flowers,, 

 and the heavy ashen sky brooding over all, becomes painfully and 

 persistently obvious. ' Summer has gone,' the raving wind seems- 

 to say l ycur summer. You have seen your best days, you arc 

 wearing out with work and worry and responsibilities ; and do- 

 you hear ? you are not like these, there is no earthly spring to- 

 come forjvu.' 



'Do not frighten the poor fugitive creatures,' answers the beating, 

 rain. ' I knew their kind a thousand generations gone, but they 



1 Retribution has overtaken me and I must pay for these remarks. An 

 inspector (who knew them not) has just descended upon me and requested me 

 to be good enough to alter a certain surface drain in one of my own cowhouses. I 

 shall comply with much pleasure, delighted to reflect, indeed, that the sanitary 1 

 authorities have developed such activity. They will, I think, find many worse 

 things than my drain to occupy them. H. R. H., 1899. 



