CO ATE FARM. 5 



limes, the little bench by the ha-ha looking 

 towards Swindon and the setting sun. I am 

 actually crying over these delicious memories 

 of my childhood; if ever I loved a spot of 

 this earth, it was Coate House. The scent of 

 the sweet-briar takes me there in a moment ; 

 the walnut-trees you recollect, and the old 

 wooden pump, where the villagers came for 

 water ; the hazel copse that my uncle 

 planted; the gateway that led to the reservoir; 

 the sitting-room, with its delightful square 

 window; the porch, where the swallows used to 

 build year after year ; and the kitchen, with 

 its wide hearth and dark window." 



In " Amaryllis at the Fair " the scene is 

 laid at Coate Farm. But, indeed, as we 

 shall see, Coate was never absent from 

 Jefferies' mind for long. 



Coate is not, I believe, a large farm. It 

 had, however, been in the possession of the 

 family for many generations. Once twice 

 it passed out of their hands, and was after- 

 wards recovered. It was finally lost about 

 twelve years ago. To belong to an old 

 English yeoman stock is, perhaps, good enough 



