CO ATE FARM. 15 



The household at Coate has been partly 

 but only partly described in " Amaryllis at 

 the Fair." It consisted of his parents, him- 

 self, his next brother, a year younger than 

 himself, and a brother and sister much younger. 

 Farmer Iden, in " Amaryllis," is, in many 

 characteristics, a portrait of his father. Truly, 

 it is not a portrait to shame any man ; and 

 though the lines are strongly drawn, one hopes 

 that the original, who is still living, was not 

 offended at a picture so striking and so ori- 

 ginal. Jefferies has drawn for us the figure 

 of a man full of wisdom and thought, who 

 speaks now in broad Wiltshire and now in 

 clear, good English ; one who meditates aloud ; 

 one who roams about his fields watching and 

 remembering ; one who brings to the planting 

 of potatoes as much thought and care as if he 

 were writing an immortal poem ; yet an un- 

 practical and unsuccessful man, who goes 

 steadily and surely down-hill while those who 

 have not a tenth part of his wisdom and 

 ability climb upwards. A novelist, however, 

 draws his portraits as best suits his purpose ; 

 he arranges the lights to fall on this feature 



