THE DAILY LIFE OF OUR FARM. 63 



imagined to be sound, having had it excavated out of 

 the hve rock. 



How we discovered it was thus : One morning, on our 

 rounds, we were surprised to see a usually snow-white 

 call-duck, that carries her head proudly erect, and is 

 possessed of just that amount of embonpoint which was 

 the special admiration of the First Consul, all dyed of a 

 deep purply brown tint by the watermark from her bows 

 around. At first, methought she was but in the fashion, 

 and, after the example of her betters, in approved 

 coquettish style, was stepping with her upper plumage 

 reefed, just so as to exhibit the dainty petticoat beneath 

 — in her instance, it must be allowed, of an unwontedly 

 sober hue ; but, then, she's a dear, darling, retiring, 

 little duck, somewhat slow, perhaps, on shore, and supe- 

 rior to vulgar display, even while afraid of being behind 

 in the fashion. Well, she waddles on, and is lost to 

 sight, evidently not quite happy in her mind, as the 

 bailiff generally remarks of any agitated animal ; when, 

 wonder on wonder ! behold my pet white shorthorn cow, 

 dark buskined to the knee, and having a most unortho- 

 dox muzzle ! There is the old white pony, too, which 

 must have slipped down, being rather shaky on his legs, 

 with a large dark stain upon his quarter, that reminds 

 one of old days, when we wicked lads, at a hard-hearted 

 boarding-school, used to lay a trap of black cherries on 

 the bench in a dim corner, having first set a decoy pic- 

 ture-book upon the desk for mamma's pet, the day-boy 

 in his superb and superfine light moleskin trousers. 



And the pool itself is not the pool of our pride and 

 delight — the pool that we had excavated with so much 

 trouble for the refreshment of our kine and the delecta- 

 tion of the ducks. It is a water bewitched ! Whatever 



