The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1869-10-12 00:00:00

'6 Mr letart tikort ftittaa to thee,
Th. •Igit -ttn r•

"I e ..sc Ile •.
• We ttri,gity tact 41,1 .4. du 10;.Ity,
hat a,' at tnit. ,ntr atty."
' ith I.tartioul baud at sour eutunuonti."
" se I that ettett Ttataitt: ha..
A, N.. 1n.,t110, wick. roUtlllue."
'• Illy 1,0.4.1 it aline. and I at.. her+ ••
••U.nh. appoint meat in my e”ntetstment."
I do nut repent 1 rare neleent."
" A heart mutant tattoo( rewit."
0 No dirt ran show the "501 i pa,*
.• 11l thtuk my tette I. lain,
What la ad other ps.ple cart
Again,t Own I will pros ale an..tht, -
••Si bat the I mut mow the luso lath elttne.-ti."
" In I-slit.; th. e I lot. th).:11 "
•• tat I ' nes er tate a tile.
flat sill mot kn.+ her.. bin UM."
" out, little. hut lute I .Iwe
Lot e hint tabu *tat* this nng of guild ;
"nu ht 'loud kin. due who, thmi itrt "
' F.Nt Insot7hrht that tiled lt,t thee ;
Neat to Ulm love none hut

Many superstitious attach to toe wealdir.g ring, pro-
bably originating in the old Roman Catboat* caesium of
Its receiving the benediction of the priest: Thus, in
Ireland, the wedding ring, being rubbed on • wart or
sore, cures it; aml in Somersetshire • stye upon the
eyelid may he removed in a lake way. In some parts of
Ireland a auperaition still exists that if a wart is pierced
Orough a wedding ring with a than from • gooseberry
hush, the wart will gradually disappear. The Romans
believe that a peculiar virtue lay in the fourth finger of
the left hand, that Is the ring finger and their
physicians stirred medicine with it. .1 danilar supersti-
tion still obtains in many phaoss in England, where it is
belitved that the right finger, by being stroked across •
sore or wound, can soon cure or heal it.
?deny of the bridsbring superstitious are connected
with the wedding.calso. Shoes of the latter are some-
times put through tho ring nine times, and laid under
pillows at night, to close young persona to dream of
their lovers. According to another custom, • wedding
ring is mixed with the ingredients of the cake, and
baked in it. When It is cut, the person who secures the
slice containing the ring wall secure with it good fortune
daring the ensuing year, and, should the possessor be •
maiden, a suitor and • happy marriage. At Bromley it
is a very common practioe at marriage to put • wedding
nag into. posaut, and after the liquor has been served
out, the sin& le penult whose cup contains the ring will
be the first of the company to be married. Another
custom at this plum is to put a wedding nag and a six-
pence into • common fiat currant cake. When the
company are about to retire at the end of the day, the
cake is broken and distributed among the single women.
She who gets the ring ill her portion of the cake will
shortly be married, and the one who gets the sixpence
will die an old maid In Northumberland divination
was practised by fishing with • ladle for • wasbliag ring
which had been dropped into • syllabub, the object
being to obtain • prognostiretion of who should be brat
married.— From Our Own Ft rrank,an assonant sixpenny
magazine of home literature.

LIFE IN THE COUNTRY.
tInITING Tin COUNTY ainTIIT.
Strolling one bahay morning in our garden, I say to
Rose Anna with enthusiasm,—
"how truly delightful is this rustle life How
fresh, bow innoceet, how balmy, how nice and long the
dayeare I"
Rose Anna says. "They are long !"
I continue, with enthwason, "Hew nice and long
the evenings are !"
Rose Anna says, "Bother !"
I have tried not to believe it, and yet the truth—the
fearful truth—foresee itself upon me. Rose Anna is
getting • little bored by rural felicity.
We have been here throe weeks--no, ten days. We
have been much occupied by oar pig, also by our fowl
(the first of the poultry wears going to rear). We have,
to some extent, net the house to rights. We have
strolled a good deal in the garden.
I don't like owning to it, but It is possible to have
'sough of those oonloundeel cabbages, when one keeps
en walking round and looking at them.
However, here we are, and there are the cabbages,
end what's to be done?
An ides occurs to Rose Anna : she says, "There are
the county gentry."
I look round, and ask where, under the Impression
that they may be staring over the garden-gate at we in
nay wideawake awl slippers.
; She says, "In their houses, of course. We must
; call on them and leave our cards. We ought to have
done so before."
This really isn't a bad idea. I have noticed that an
uninterrupted amnia of Henry Fulialove. Rep. pure
; and simple, seems rather to pollen Rose Aiwri—at lrat.
the generally grows • little newish under bush (dream.
.t.u.,c4 a. 11 c :eat Lave society.
To begin with. I consult Burke upon the subject, and
oak her the names of tee resident gentry.
She ova, "'there's squire Bramble—that sounds like
sonieho ly in eni of th•hhouith'e Comedies ; and the
l'oomortnes, end the Tadcastere. and the &theta, and
the folks up at lialL"
It seems to ine that we had osidor not Lewin at the
Hall until we see how the others take it—the Todmor.
tons, for instance; or again, why not the Tadesaters?
or perhaps the Stiles...?
Upos reflection, however, why net Squire Bramble?
I ask fur information respecting him. Burke says,
I " He's a rum 'an, he is."
I tell her I rather like "rem 'ens," and press for
; further details.
; Bowen junior obuervgi, "lily eye, he is no, just •
; few r.
hey, " Pm going to @eh cm him."
Burke says. Yon better hadn't."
Benson junior adds, "You leave him alone, and he'll
leave you alone."
I see how it Is. Bunko and Benson don't want unto
make acquaintanee with persons who may give no any
information respecting agriculterral matters ; such, for
instance, en how much the pig's boost ought to cost.
But I will not be thwarted, so licra car for Bramble.
1/u in 'airy. I and he liceet !Ao tc.lea and a half et?.
It 111 a isseuliarity of this phrt of the wont, y, that
eves, thing is alwoy• two units and a esti away.
It turn. out that the two miles aud • half ic • short
rut. and meetly over newly ploughed fields. On hear-
ing this. Ito.* tuna says, I might AP well go by niyself
the first tline, and I ,10
I nun% think I ever knew two miles much leog,r,
and the half-mile at the end of them 11COU111 iLtermin.
ebb,. but I do reach my journey's end at last, and
yonder. "the home wl,re the dog is," • countryman
tele ms, is Millie Bramble`,..
I hear th) dog, Lot don't see him. I ring a bell at a
door in • high brick wall, aml wait for ten minutes
; without receiving any mower, the dog, meanwhile, barks
louder then ever inside.
When I hare waited a good long while I rut my
fiugcr thionyti a rouLd hole in the door and lift the
latch up. Then I open the door and step forward.
I do 90 leisurely for half-a-docon steps nr thereabouts
into.. sort of yard, when the dog that barked (know
him again by the sound of him) COlllOll rushing at me
from round a corner.
I aimed.° my leisurely movement rather suddenly,
and nay back. The doe:, however, has shut behind me,
end I shan't have time to open it.
taut there is yet • chance of escape. Providence, or
it. deputy, has left • ladder standing against the wall.
With the rapidity of a whirlwind, or an energetio young
bricklayer's labourer, I ascend the first half-dozen
rounds' whilst the infuriated animal below makes futile
efforts to close with my coat-teile.
Then, feeling sure I am out of his reach, [turn round
soil take breath.
When I have taken it I mils upon the infutiatod
;animal, who is raging impotently • couple of feet below
nay boots, and I lunge at him playfully with my
umbrella.
Presently, with fiendish artfulness, lie makes • feint
of snapping at ley teed., and MANX, my umbrella nosale.
lie does so with a josh which almost emote me.
To preserve any balance I drop nay umbrella. The
beast of a ilog sits down anil gnaws the fancy handle,
evidently under the impression that it as a boon.
This is a humorous incident, and the unbrella is just
new, and cat twenty-five shillings. Such fun!
Meanwhile I am up the ladder.
It is clear I can't come down—at least, on this side of
the wall; but on the other? Ah I
No, there are broken bottles on the top. I can't sit
down and pull up the ladder. I must wait. How longs
I wonder?
If I were half • foot further to the left I could ring
the bell, •nd keep on ringing it. But then, 11l try to
reach over, I may upset myself, end—share the fate of
I my umbrella.
• Ah !at last some one appears. A red-headed' red-
faced man, in a dirty suit of velveteen. Evidently •
'sheerer. I call to him.
He seems surprised. Ho stands still, and calls bask.
Fie uses had language, and wants to know what I am
doing there.
I tell him I went Squire Bramble.
Ile goes on with his had language, and says Au name
in Bramble, and works himself up into a fay in asking
what I want with Wm.
I roar in reply (for he is about two hundred yards off),
that if he would Goma nearer I would esplain.
He says he'll see me all aorta of things first, and sail
1 Lad better come to him if I want him.
I explein how unreasonable this is, and point to the
dog.
Ile roars out again to know what I want. I say I
, have come to leave niv card. He days he doesn't witut
it, as he buys all be uses in teen.
i lam of opinion that lie takes ine for a bagman.
; lle then 6.4.11 .11 rasing to the effect that I don't jolly
I well jolly soon get eff that jolly ladder, he'll jolly well
sow me—only h.• doesn't put it quite so Panay, but
' with more oir.pbards.
.%ftsr this he turn, on his hod, and thank finodnega
; the deg follows Ulm I thee ilatoend vitth all the
dignity of winch I am me/ter, pick up what remains of
tuy umbrella, end take my leave of the Bramble estate.
If this is visiting the county gentry, Rose An had
beFF•c Fry her hand neat time. —.1.0y.

Nrw MAGALINE. —The trot number of rh. A wisest
Worfil, publedied by the Society for the Prevention al
Cruelty to Animal.. has just appeared. Vic elsisioi
IVorbf is a very likely print.' unagaauio, with capita
illustrations, and on examining the articles, one is
astonished it the amount of information given on its
special aulip et. it nob!c chapter on the bore.)
commences the work, and the interest is su.toined by
Libya, coneepontience, reports, and other contents prwpf,
to Ruch a aerial, throuirti 32 quarto pages. The 011ge1090
fitfr the .Itawinor room tabh, rind yet will be interesting
to fill who have to with our poorer relation., the
nnirod. Pubjent to won. We extract the following
• I.,,,Vnknn, ham i 4, II o;,flh, h.t.11 in the how,
.4 •no ne•••4 .trrnii shit foru:n it anti • I it.. litos .hgolliti NU
1'..,. •r ban It.e. cruvit) it i•tic., 41 italed
•4 In' hat nnoninr4
..1..

- .
.•
1.1w...1...eti ;minor o.nitort
••1.1 b.. esotaelall qv 41 him e.jutinually imrenwing

"^ ram ‘.l what h.o are plow 1 to
• tookt, n.111.4..t1 !has, our to. lii tho ivide of their I
no dou!.i torota;fh an alloetion for the hone- •
wa• a'ait bin. *Ol4 ttit.lll.l•l,k,t •In or, r)thhag icrruul and
irautif..l . ond thetwwtal, .4 to ..errica. and attrihot44' rit
huorr or the totted min. of call,. 1.14 4arayal. Al Ninavah,
041% th- Act^11.41..4 ‘tittert..nk the Irian of the temple
Illiner.a. •ner hnarly Ofl tan entitle of an oht.ln.rl4
don, aro tu tor found tu.otriornal ..r Ihtknwl. warn. .1. ler lath-
hilt% , man. .rn.l hI. .114,8 A.instra, fin horle. 'lltronielt ail spa
ha • 'h.' POO, NE...11140r have
,• kl.k. 111.1.1 Itrok • 111 ettly anal *met.
.1(}, lottlikit t • iho
o .4 h On. 0 h .! t. nta•.y tvv.rt.
10'0 ehi ouhjact.ln th. uorl4 '4 kohl:: WO okt ntknortl9, :oni
a. Is., can ha cornpelloll 1., w...1r, no matt, in arhaa
fa...h. or or with what arnount of meouvet.tentu tom., „„.•
try 'to; umot...to. 1.4 1.1! for •olOr kt 1kit11.41,11
, /v.l, •?:, C.