amusements of life, but has taken a share in every passing pleasure. It
is his maxim, that "he that works hard can afford to play." He is,
therefore, an attendant at all the country fairs and wakes, and has
signalised himself by feats of strength and prowess on every village
green in the shire. He often makes his appearance at horse-races, and
sports his half-guinea and even his guinea at a time; keeps a good horse
for his own riding, and to this day is fond of following the hounds, and
is generally in at the death. He keeps up the rustic revels, and
hospitalities too, for which his paternal farm-house has always been
noted; has plenty of good cheer and dancing at harvest-home, and above
all, keeps the "merry night,"[A] as it is termed, at Christmas.

[Footnote A: MERRY NIGHT; a rustic merry-making in a farm-house about
Christmas, common in some parts of Yorkshire. There is abundance of
homely fare, tea, cakes, fruit, and ale; various feats of agility,
amusing games, romping, dancing, and kissing withal. They commonly break
up at midnight.]

[Illustration: In at the Death]

With all his love of amusement, however, Jack is by no means a
boisterous jovial companion. He is seldom known to laugh even in the
midst of his gaiety; but maintains the same grave, lion-like demeanour.
He is very slow at comprehending a joke; and is apt to sit puzzling at
it, with a perplexed look, while the rest of the company is in a roar.
This gravity has, perhaps, grown on him with the growing weight of his
character; for he is gradually rising into patriarchal dignity in his
native place. Though he no longer takes an active part in athletic
sports, yet he always presides at them, and is appealed to on all
occasions as umpire. He maintains the peace on the village-green at