THE DAILY LIFE OF OUR FARM. 101 



its stem of seeds). Having watched for a hot day, cut 

 off the crown, just under the surface, wdth a sharp, 

 thin knife, and drop a taste of the tincture of iodine 

 upon the bleeding root. The sun must shine upon the 

 execution, or it will take no effect. 



How delighted the children are now, every day, upon 

 the advent of either a foal, a hatch of chickens, a calf, 

 or late lamb ! How they hop and skip about, and beg 

 it may be theirs, at least in name ! The only young 

 thing they don't seem to affect is a litter of pigs ; 

 probably, although they don't confess it voluntarily, 

 because they so often get dubbed themselves, by the 

 nurse, with that appellation, when they bring them- 

 selves in from bird-nesting to dinner all tattered and 

 torn and bemired, as if they had been drawn through 

 a, ditch, "And everything quite clean put on, sir." 

 If they could but know the delights of their age, with 

 no thought beyond the hour, a rainy day their sinking 

 market, an empty plate their stunned exchequer, the 

 morning lessons their bad investments — sorrows which 

 glance off at pudding time, as arrows from a polished 

 casque ! How delightful would it be, if we old people 

 could sometimes, in a like degree, strip ourselves of 

 the mouldy arras of our cares ! It would be as a 

 butterfly coming forth from the grub. It would be 

 like taking one's aching brains out, and plunging them 

 in spring-water, as one feels a longing to do sometimes 

 — a process to be considered on a par with sitting in one's 

 bones only, on a hot day, as Sydney Smith suggested. 



Talking of aches, with one more medical hint I will 

 conclude this paper. Several of our young ones, and 

 the Missus herself, have been wise enough lately to 

 get their fingers pinched in a closing door. I need not 



