A Farmer’s Life 
the Frimley cottage where little John Smith 
was at school. A big, good-tempered, round- 
shouldered man was this Smithers, well liked by 
the children. Seeing him coming, in his queer 
rattling little cart, the children would run u 
with a “ How do, Mr. Smithers.” And John 
recalled that the mail-driver’s overcoat had “‘ ten 
or a dozen tippets.” But, hearing of this pro- 
tection, who could help thinking of cold rain and 
searching winds across the heaths? If Mr. Smith 
did not, himself, recall the downpours met with 
in the mailman’s daily drive, they streamed 
through my own fancy when he described the 
driver’s coat. 
Another time clear and sunny frost.was what I 
got. I had been his duty, as a young man, to 
drive to Pirbright Mill with wheat, for which he 
would return after ten days, taking a second load 
and bringing home the first converted into flour. 
And in the winter, when he came in sight at top 
of the hill, the miller’s wife would set elderberry 
wine on the fire to be warm at his arrival, this 
being his customary welcome. For she seemed 
as glad to give it... . And, John added, he 
could seem to see even now (in his old age, and 
by his winter fireside) ‘“‘ the old miller leaning 
over his half-door to watch him coming down 
the hill.” 
It seems to me that John may have been 
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