A JOURNAL KEPT IN THE COUNTRY. IO5 



in the village. Oh, it's the gells, is it? Who said 

 it was Liza Packham ? That's jus' like you ; 'spectin' 

 the fire to draw afore the chimley-back's half warm 



like. I says to Albert, like that I says " Here 



the entry of the daughter-in-law, who bears the 

 amazing name Deidameia (a not uncommon name 

 here, pronounced Dedemiah, and probably taken to 

 be Scriptural), stayed the further enlargement of the 

 secrets of the house, and left me able to talk with 

 the old man again. He affords a good instance of 

 the fair-minded way nearly all the old men have in 

 looking back ; he seems to see with equal clearness 

 merits which ended with his boyhood and those 

 which came in with the last Ministry. In all this 

 there is, of course, room for healthy grumbling ; and 

 just now he was complaining of the vanishing of 

 the old "round frocks." He hardly knew where 

 to get one now. "Won'erful good they was. 

 They'd keep out rain better nor any top-coat ; and 

 that warm acrost the chest again the wind. Chatfield 

 in Lewes, one time he'd women all over the country 

 makin' on 'em for him ; I don't expec' there's many 

 could put one together now. And look at long 

 leggin's ! Everybody used to wear 'em right up 

 to here. There was old Jack Comber had a little 

 tanyard clost against where the schools is now 



