138 Ralph Duckworth of the Wild Farm. 



enquiry, have lived on the farm from early boyhood. The 

 land, too, is well done by. It is fine rich soil, and always 

 seems to produce finer roots and wheat than elsewhere. 

 And yet old Ralph does not seem to pay much personal 

 attention to farming operations, but appears to leave most 

 matters of detail to his men. Indeed, his principal occu- 

 pation apparently, when not hunting or coursing, is gallop- 

 ing about the country (he is hardly ever seen out of a 

 gallop — and a devilish good pace, too, as he once observed 

 to someone who twitted him on that score) on a certain rat- 

 tailed horse of his. A bachelor, Ralph's establishment is pre- 

 sided over by a widowed sister, as comfortable-looking a 

 woman as her brother is a man, and just about the very 

 best hand at making cherry brandy, or orange gin, you 

 ever met. Having partaken of a countless number of 

 glasses of those seductive cordials at various times on our 

 visits at the Wild Farm, we are well qualified to give an 

 opinion. We should add that Ralph, like Mr. Sponge's 

 horsedealing friend, Mr. Benjamin Buckram, possesses 

 a snug little independence of his own ; consequently he is 

 well able to maintain the hospitaHty it is his delight to 

 extend to everyone, and indulge in his favourite sport to 

 his heart's content, without any qualms of conscience on 

 the score of undue extravagance. 



" W^hat is this pet farmer of yours like in personal ap- 

 pearance ? " we fancy we can hear the reader exclaim at 

 this point. 



Well, he is a stout, hale-looking man, of middle height, 

 standmg on a pair of rather bow legs ; possessing a large, 

 round, pleasant face, a complexion the colour of port wine, 

 and white hair. He has never been seen in anything but a 

 chimney-pot hat — felt on weekdays, silk on Sundays ; and 



