HINDRANCES AND HELPS. 249 



" Can't come that stuff over me ; I'm too old a 

 bird." 



So indeed he is ; and a tough bird at that. His 

 mind is a rare psychological study ; so balanced on 

 so fine a point, so immovable, with such guys of pre- 

 judice staying him on every side, so subtle and yet 

 so narrow, so shrewd and yet so small, so intelli- 

 gent and yet so short-sighted If such men could 

 bring themselves to think they knew less, I think 

 they would farm far better. 



Opportunity for Culture. 



THERE is a plentiful crop of orators for all the 

 agricultural fairs (most of them city lawyers, 

 not knowing a Devon from a Hereford), who delight 

 in expatiating upon the opportunities for culture 

 afforded by the quiet and serenity of a farm-life. 

 Now there is no life in the world, which, well hus- 

 banded, has not its opportunities for culture ; but to 

 say that the working-farmer's life is specially favored 

 in this respect, is the grossest kind of an untruth. 



Long evenings, forsooth ! And the orator 



who talks in this style is probably crawling out of his 

 bed at eight in the morning, while the farmer is 

 n-field since four. And are not these four hours to 

 be made good to him in sleep or rest ? The man 

 11* 



