JUNE 247 



rate among English-speaking peoples, is, I suppose, impossible at 

 present ; indeed, I think that I could furnish a few rural incidents, 

 which some might be inclined to reject as beyond belief, that 

 would cause even the intrepid author of * La Terre ' to hesitate. 

 Yet they have been proved in court by satisfactory evidence, 

 including that of the freely offered testimony of the individuals 

 concerned. 



Here is a terrible example of what may happen to people for 

 want of a kicking-strap. Yesterday the ostler of the King's Head 

 Hotel, a very worthy and careful man, attended with a brougham 

 to drive a bride, the daughter of a farmer, to church. So soon 

 as he had started with the bride and her parents, the horse, an 

 animal hitherto supposed to be inoffensive, commenced kicking 

 furiously. So high did it kick that it struck the driver on the 

 forehead, cutting it to the bone and knocking him nearly sense- 

 less. He fell from the box and, catching his leg between the 

 wheel and the body of the brougham, broke it in two places. 

 Even then, however, he did not leave go of the reins, but clung 

 to them so tenaciously that the horse was pulled over on to 

 its side, the bride and her parents escaping unhurt, while the 

 driver was removed to Ditchingham Hospital. It is hoped 

 that he will recover ; but at his age the case is serious. The 

 mare is supposed to have been stung by a wasp or hornet ; cer- 

 tainly, when I examined her to-day, I saw a lump upon her 

 stomach that seemed to have been caused by a sting. Moral : 

 Always use a kicking-strap. 



June 25. Yesterday was wretched, cold and dull, with occa- 

 sional rain-storms and a strong sou'-west wind. To-day is even 

 worse. In the morning a cloudy sky and wind, and in the after- 

 noon came violent rains diversified by thunder and lightning. 

 Before dinner-time the men were working in the hay on Baker's : 

 but after it had all been aired by the tosser, and just as they were 

 beginning to get it on to the cock, down fell the rain again, so that 

 the only progress which this hay has made is towards decomposi- 



