AX EXGLISII FARMER. 35 



governing classes, the immorality of landowners, and 

 has been promised that, if he will only support Mr. Jenks 

 and urge his brother farmers to join with him, the 

 tyrants will be made to tremble before the eloquence of 

 Jenks, who has draughted a bill which will enable every 

 farmer to become possessed, on easy terms — for next 

 to nothing in fact — of the land he tills. 



But all this fails to move sturdy Tom Maizeley. He 

 doesn't want to make any one tremble, least of all his 

 landlord, for whom he entertains a warm regard. 



*'He lets me the land for a fair rent, and I pay it 

 when it comes due. The game isn't in my lease, and I 

 don't want what doesn't belong to me." 



Such is Tom's artless philosophy, and he has conse- 

 quently been set down as an incorrigible dullard. 



" I daresay he knows a lot," Tom said to a neighbour, 

 as they jogged home after a lecture they had been 

 induced to attend, wherein Mr. Jenks and some friends 

 from London had painted their wretched condition to 

 them, and after which he had distributed copies of his 

 handbook, that they might refresh their minds when 

 they got home. " I daresay he knows a lot ; but it 

 doesn't seem to make him very happy ; and I reckon 

 them that's most contented has the best sort of politics!" 



How can you possibly reason with a man like this — a 

 creature who deliberately refuses to understand that he 

 ought to be miserable and dissatisfied ? Jenks has 

 given him up, and herein I think Jenks has done 

 wisely. 



D 2 



