1 86 Life and Times of " The Druid." 



able saving of distance. He decided to do so, 

 and had walked for nearly a mile when he saw 

 some way ahead a labouring man engaged at 

 work on the road. Feeling sure that this man 

 would be well acquainted with the neighbour- 

 hood he determined to ask him to direct him 

 to the path. Then it occurred to him ' What 

 can I give this fellow ? He looks poor enough, 

 and I should like to give him something use- 

 ful. Ah ! I have it, I'll give him my hat.' 

 He took from his head the article so-named, 

 a very shiny and ill-favoured specimen, and 

 debated with himself in which of the two — 

 the dilapidated hat just snatched from his 

 head or a decidedly battered wideawake he 

 was carrying in his hand — he would look least 

 disreputable as he emerged next morning 

 from the Rectorial mansion to go to church. 

 He came to the conclusion that his gentility 

 would be sufficiently secure with the wide- 

 awake, and so, with a hat in each hand 

 stretched out before him, and with uncovered 

 head he moved swiftly on. It was raining 

 smartly at the time, and his appearance and 

 manner seemed, to put it mildly, a little odd. 

 At any rate the roadman thought so, and as 



