"'What, Sir?'

"'That woke them confounded rooks up, out o' their fust
nap, and kick't up such a bobbery. Where is the Parson?'

"'Which one, Sir?'

"'The one that's so fond of fishing.'

"'Ain't up yet, Sir.'

"'Well, the old boy, that wore breeches.'

"Out on a sick visit to one of the cottages, Sir.'

"When he comes in, send him to me, I'm shockin' sick.'

"With that I goes to look arter the two pretty galls in
the drawin' room; and there was the ladies a chatterin'
away like any thing. The moment I came in it was as dumb
as a quaker's meetin'. They all hauled up at once, like
a stage-coach to an inn-door, from a hand-gallop to a
stock still stand. I seed men warn't wanted there, it
warn't the custom so airly, so I polled out o' that creek,
starn first. They don't like men in the mornin', in
England, do the ladies; they think 'em in the way.

"'What on airth, shall I do?' says I, 'it's nothin' but
rain, rain, rain--here in this awful dismal country.
Nobody smokes, nobody talks, nobody plays cards, nobody