A JOURNAL KEPT IN THE COUNTRY. 22Q 



fast that which is good, in the necessary rural ways of 

 Arnington. 



2$rd. Bob has left me, and I miss his cheerful 

 criticism of life ; though, to tell truth, I found the 

 boy at times father to the man in a somewhat dis- 

 composing manner. We fished the brook together, 

 and I found that my conceptions of bottom-tackle 

 were superannuated, on the authority of Vines major. 

 When the Jollands' Corner eleven came over to play 

 the Arnington Juniors, Bob and I opened the innings. 

 It was a treat to see the boy's school-discipline come 

 out in contrast to the lumbering clumsiness and slink- 

 ing tricks of the village lads ; if anything could make 

 one young again, it would be that shrill call, " Come 

 on, Uncle ! " to my rusty snick behind the wicket. 

 But the one-eyed umpire, who counted the over by 

 depositing a halfpenny for each ball behind the 

 middle stump ; the old tailor, who kept wicket in an 

 embroidered waistcoat and braces ; the floury miller, 

 who varied erratic round-arm bowling with absolute 

 straight sneaks all these I learned to appraise by the 

 standard of the House Eleven and Vines major, and 

 to contemn in obedience to a call to higher things. We 

 do try to copy the ways of the County. We place our 

 fields for the miller's round-arms just as Richardson's 



