34 IDLEHURST : 



had been to see him, and told him as how it would 

 be all right for the winter ; but clearly life was so 

 much on the lees that nothing greatly mattered. I 

 made him fill his pipe, and talk of other things. 

 Like all the old fellows of his date, he is nothing 

 less in the world than landator temporis acti, on 

 principle. The old folk are always ready to point 

 out the improvements they have seen ; they are even 

 cruelly careless about the destruction of old houses 

 or old scenes ; old associations hardly appeal to 

 them. But with appreciation founded on solid 

 advantage, they regretfully recall the days of their 

 youth, and most considerately take exception to the 

 common conceptions of advance. " 'Sims as no one 

 don't want me now," says old Tomsett, raking out 

 a coal for his pipe. "'Cep'n in hayin' there's hardly 

 a job to be got. Ruinin' the land ; that's what it is ! 

 No mendin', no cleanin' ! Why, there's enough stuff 

 in they dicks to mend all the land, if they'd clean 

 'em out. Look what that does to a meada ! Why, 

 you can see where there's bin naun but a cooch-fire 

 for two years after. Ruinin' all the land, that's what 

 it is ! " He shakes his head and muses sadly, no 

 doubt, on the clean busy farming of the fifties. 



" But you'd bad times, some years ? " I suggest. 



"Ay," he says, "but they weren't that close as 



