306 THE COUNTRY CLERGYMAN*. 



Hr-trees which were then near the ground, and 

 like the war-horse in Job, rejoicing in our strength ! 

 While we were in mid-play, we perceived a grey, 

 round-shouldered, weather-beaten, shabbily-dressed 

 old man walk slowly up towards the ground, with his 

 hands behind his back, and remain silently looking 

 at us. Now it is very easy for a cricketer to dis- 

 tinguish a spectator who understands the game 

 from an ignoramus. The latter is sure speedily 

 to betray himself, his eye wanders without meaning, 

 he fidgets about, talks loud, makes absurd observa- 

 tions, and draws most temerarious conclusions. 

 But this old man stood steadily watching us, ad- 

 dressing no one, and keeping his eye on us, with 

 a grave undeviating attention. At length, during 

 one of the little pauses of the game, Hector said, 

 * Herod, do you see that old man there, have you 

 never seen him before ? * ' No ! I don't remember,' 

 was the reply, who can he be ? 'I have a great 

 idea, said Hamlet, that he must be old Fennex 

 the cricketer, whom we saw once on the ground 

 at Bury, but he could hardly have got to this 

 remote place, and what should he do here.'' ' How- 

 ever, said the elder brother, I'll go and speak to 

 him/ So accordingly he accosted the old man, 

 and found that he was the very person whom they 

 suspected him to be. He said, that he was going 

 round the country to teach any clubs that might 

 want his assistance, and hearing of them, as he 



