20 CHAMOIS HUNTING. 



in less than a quarter of an hour we were at Rottach, 

 five minutes' walk from the place of my destination. 

 A little urchin offered to "racMn*" (trundle) my 

 things to the inn ; so helping the little fellow to put 

 the luggage on his barrow, off we set together. But 

 he soon stopped to rest, and when he saw me waiting 

 for him, he told me "to go on : there was no need 

 whatever for me to stay, he would be sure and come ;" 

 and as I saw he wished to have the glory of perform- 

 ing his piece of work quite alone, I left him to follow 

 at his leisure. 



I am always glad to employ a child when circum- 

 stances make it possible ; first because I like children's 

 company and to hear their talk, and also because I 

 wish that they should know how comely a thing it is 

 to be employed usefully, and how sweet the earnings 

 of one's own labour are. I have a habit, when walk- 

 ing, of scattering crumbs for the birds, who are almost 

 sure to find them ; and just so, I fancy, a chance in- 

 centive to industry, or a little reward for some kindly- 

 meant attention, may not be wholly lost, but, being 

 remembered long afterwards, may incite to a love of 



* The sight of the green fields and hedgerows is not more pleasant 

 to him who has been " long in populous cities pent," than is to my 

 ear the sound of a genuine provincialism, uttered in a broad dialect, 

 giving earnest as it does of being really beyond the influence 

 of the town. Once in Somersetshire I remember a peasant point- 

 ing out to me a place in the distance, and telling me it was near 

 where yonder "housen" were; giving the word "house" its old 

 Saxon plural. That one word seemed at once to remove me from 

 the haunts of over-civilization, and I felt sure I had really got into 

 the country. It was the same with the "radeln" of my little peasant- 

 boy, and I welcomed it accordingly. 



