don't know whether it's land or water they're standing on! It's
the wrong way about, boys! It's the wrong way about! You may hurry
and scurry along as fast as you please, but you miss most good
things by the way; and there's only one end to your racing--the
grave! There's no such haste to drop into THAT, boys! It'll wait!
It's always waiting! And the quicker you go the quicker you'll get
to it! Take time while you're young! That time for me is past!"

He lifted his head and looked round upon them all. There was a
strange wild look in his old eyes,--and a sudden sense of awe fell
on the rest of the company. Farmer Jocelyn seemed all at once
removed from them to a height of dignity above his ordinary
bearing. Innocent's rose-crowned head drooped, and tears sprang
involuntarily to her eyes. She tried to hide them, not so well,
however, but that Priscilla Priday saw them.

"Now, lovey child!" she whispered,--"Don't take on! It's only the
doctors that's made him low like and feelin' blue, and he ain't
takin' sup or morsel, but we'll make him have a bite in his own
room afterwards. Don't you swell your pretty eyes and make 'em
red, for that won't suit me nor Mr. Robin neither, come, come!--
that it won't!"

Innocent put one of her little hands furtively under the board and
pressed Priscilla's rough knuckles tenderly, but she said nothing.
The silence was broken by one of the oldest men present, who rose,
tankard in hand.

"The time for good farming is never past!" he said, in a hearty
voice--"And no one will ever beat Farmer Jocelyn at that! Full