WILD LIFE IN A SOUTHERN COUNTY. 81 



ing iron on the anvil. He keeps bundles of the young, 

 pliant ground-ash sticks, which twist easily and are 

 peculiarly tough ; and taking one of these, with a few 

 turns of his wrist winds it round the chisel so as to have 

 a long handle. One advantage of the wood is that it 

 " gives " a little, and does not jar when struck. 



The tinker, notwithstanding his vagrant habits, is 

 sometimes a man of substance, owning two or more 

 small cottages, built out of his savings by the village 

 mason the materials perhaps carted for him free by 

 a friendly farmer. When sober and steady he has 

 a capital trade : his hands are never idle. Milk-tins, 

 pots, pans, etc., constantly need mending ; he travels 

 from door to door, and may be seen sitting on a stool 

 in the cart-house in the farmyard, tinkering on his 

 small portable anvil, with two or three cottagers' 

 children sturdy, yellow-haired youngsters intently 

 watching the mystery of the craft. 



In spite of machine-sewn boots and their cheapness, 

 the village cobbler is still an institution, and has a 

 considerable number of patrons. The labourers work- 

 ing in the fields need a boot that will keep out the 

 damp, and for that purpose it must be hand-sewn : 

 the cobbler, having lived among them all his life, 

 understands what is wanted better than the artisan 

 of the cities, and knows how to stud the soles with 

 nails and cover toe and heel with plates till the huge 

 boot is literally iron-clad. Even the children wear 

 boots which for their size are equally heavy : many of 

 the working farmers also send theirs to be repaired. 



