120 THE EULOGY OF RICHARD JEFFERIES. 



be found in " Hodge and his Masters." So 

 far, he is still, it will be observed, the practical 

 man. Whatever feeling he has for the poetry 

 of Nature, he has as yet found little expression 

 of it. He next wrote a paper on "Field-faring 

 Women " for Fraser. He also wrote a most 

 delightful article for the Graphic on the same 

 subject, in which the truth is told about these 

 women. This was the very first paper written 

 in his later and better style : 



" Those who labour in the fields require no 

 calendar, no carefully-compiled book of refer- 

 ence to tell them when to sow and when to 

 reap, to warn them of the flight of time. The 

 flowers, blooming and fading, mark the months 

 with unfailing regularity. When the sweet 

 violet may be found in warm sheltered nooks, 

 and the sleepy snake first crawls out from 

 under the brown leaves, then it is time to 

 gather the couch or roots after the plough, 

 and to hoe the young turnips and swedes. 

 This is the first work of the year for the agri- 

 cultural women. It is not a pleasant work. 

 Everyone who has walked over a ploughed 



