126 THE LIFE OF RICHARD JEFFERIES 



I take a deal for breakfast, and I'm rather lear [hungry] 

 at supper ; but you may lay your oath that's why I'm 

 what I am in the way of health. People stuffs theirselves, 

 and by consequence it breaks out, you see. It's the same 

 with cattle ; they're overfed, tied up in stalls, stuffed, and 

 never no exercise, and mostly oily food, too. It stands 

 to reason they must get bad ; and that's the real 

 cause of these here rinderpests, and pleuro-pneumonia, 

 and what - nots. At least, that's my notion. I'm 

 in the woods all day and never comes home till 

 supper — 'cept, of course, in breeding time, to fetch the 

 meal and stuff for the birds — so I gets the fresh air, you 

 see ; and the fresh air is the life, sir. There's the smell 

 of the earth, too — 'specially just as the plough turns it 

 up — which is a fine thing ; and the hedges and the grass 

 are as sweet as sugar after a shower. Anything with a 

 green leaf is the thing, depend upon it, if you want to 

 live healthy. I never signed no pledge ; and if a man 

 asks me to take a glass of ale, I never says him no. 

 But I ain't got no barrel at home ; and all the time I've 

 been in this here place I've never been to a public. 

 Gentlemen give me tips — of course they does ; and much 

 obliged I be ; but I takes it to my missus. Many's the 

 time they've asked me to have a glass of champagne 

 or brandy when we've had lunch under the hedge ; but 

 I says no, and would like a glass of beer best, which I 

 gets, of course. No ; when I drink, I drinks ale : but 

 most in general I drinks no strong liquor. Great coat ! — 

 cold weather ! I never put no great coat on this thirty 

 year. These here woods be as good as a topcoat in cold 

 weather. Come off the open fields with the east wind 

 cutting into you, and get inside they firs and you'll feel 

 warm in a minute. If you goes into the ash-wood you 

 must go in farther, because the wind comes more between 

 the poles.'* 



Fresh air, good ale, and juicy beef-steaks were the only 

 medicines which Jefferies never ceased to praise. 

 * The Gcvnekccper at Ho7nc. 



