THE HARVEST-HOME. 



193 



occasions are delightful to witness. The hearty en- 

 joyment of the feast, the rustic songs that follow, and 

 the vociferous cheers with which the hospitality of 

 the master and mistress is celebrated, are welcome 

 signs to those who desire the labourer's welfare ; and 

 it only requires a little firmness and judgment on 

 the part of the master to prevent the harvest-home 

 from degenerating into a scene of drunkenness, and 

 to preserve it, as it ever ought to be, a true specimen 

 of British hospitality and enjoyment, and a powerful 

 means of promoting harmony and good-will. 



