218 THE DAILY LIFE OF OUR FARM. 



sledge with a deep cradle on it might do. I should be 

 so thankful for a practical hint from some experienced 

 mountaineer. A capital dodge for going down hill 

 quick yourself I can tell you : Cut a bunch of rushes ; 

 grasp the points, and sit upon the root ends : lift your 

 legs, and .down the grassy incline you shoot like light- 

 ning. So the Welsh shepherds descend steep places. 

 But it is easier to descend than to climb, metaphorically 

 or otherwise. 



u t 



May, 1869. 

 Come home to die ! ' It's so very sad, isn't it, 

 papa?" says a little plaintive voice beside me, dis- 

 turbing one from reverie. " Here we found her close 

 beside the front-door, just where we used to feed her : 

 poor little dear," she continued, stroking the glossy 

 smooth plumage (it was a hen pheasant). Just our 

 luck ! just the luck of everyone : but another illustra- 

 tion of Moore's sentiment : 



•* Oil ! ever thus from childliood's hour 



I've seen my fondest hoj^es decay ; 

 ***** 



But when it came to know me well 

 And love me, it was sure to die.',' 



Of the whole batch, two hens only had survived the 

 perils of puss and fowling-piece, and would even up to 

 the period of their decease run up at call to feed out of 

 our hands. 



Strange was it, that one day having a friend here 

 who kept firing under each bird as it rose, at last he 

 knocked one over. The shot met her as she stooped 

 in her flight. She was, in fact, one of this precious pair 

 that had wandered into the wild wood to a kettle-drum 



