An August Morning 



" Watch " is likely to eat as well as kill that 

 rabbit. Farther on a plough-boy whistles as he 

 brings the patient draught-horses from the field 

 to their accustomed labour, beating rude time 

 against the side of the bare-backed bay he is 

 riding, with the wicker corn-skep from which his 

 charges have just nibbled a few oats. 



Here and there a few stooks of corn are left 

 out, but the big rick-yards, full of goodly stacks, 

 tell of a plenteous harvest and of the prosperity 

 of the land as land. Even though prices are 

 unremunerative, a full stack-yard of well-built 

 stacks is a goodly sight to see — a sight remind- 

 ing one of England's prosperity when men made 

 something well and were content with their good 

 workmanship and a reasonable profit. 



The sounds of rural labour tell that we have 



nearly reached the end of our ride, and as we 



pass our farm-house we are joined by the farmer, 



and as we look around us in the light of the 



rising sun we see everywhere that gradual 



getting of things into order for the work of the 



coming day, which appeals to the Englishman's 



sense of fitness ; and the outward forms at any 



27 



