The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1880-12-02
AN HONEST FARMER.

Robert Foracre was bachelor. He
had come as a stranger into our district
when he was young fellow of four and
twenty, and had remained in it for forty
years, IN what may call state of seige
from maidens and widows, but had held
out gallantly, and was at length pro-
nounced impregnable. He was rallied,
of course, about this and that rustic
beauty, but he only replied with good
hundred laugh, or by the modest cOnfes-
sion that "le was not good enough for
her." used to think this answer Of the
honest farmer worthy OF Macchiavelli, of
whom in all probability he had never so
much as heard. The objection IN ques.
ton has, of course, been made before, but
always with the intention of winning the
lady; to use it as a means of escape
it was a stroke of genius, and am
not sure but that it would stand man
in good stead even in case Of breach of
promise of marriage. IL would have
married her, my lord judge, Heaven
knows, but l felt was not worthy Of
her, There is serious obligation
about it, reminding one OF the Decologue,
and also pathetic touch suggesting an
inscription on tombstone. There were
features about the man that recalled to
me the characteristics of Tennvson's
"Mlller;' he had a wise smlle," which
would doubtless have been s'dry," had
circumstances admitted Of it, and which
seemed "half within and half without,
and full OF dealings with the world"
For all his quiet geniallty, Mr. Fo1acre
knew how to take care Of himself. In
Wiltshire we are not fond of strangers;
we are a simple race and apt to imagine
that outsiders wish to take advantage
of us; and in the first instance the honest
young farmer was by no means received
with open arms. HIS modest ambition
was to take a small farm in the district,
the whole of which belonged to the Duke
OF Gramplap, and he applied to lawyer
Smart, the Dukes steward aud MANAGING
man, with this object.
Now Mr.. Smart was not a person 10
let land go out of his hands to any man
without good warrant not only of his
solvcncy, but of his ability; and it was al
ways matter of surprise how this appli-
cant obtained his first footing. For, to
tell the honest truth, Foracre was not a
good farmer, in an agricultural sense,
though morally, as have shown, as good
as gold. He was not sound upon the
theory of the rotation of the crops: he
used little guano, and seldom employed
machinery; and though he was far from
an idle man, he took life rather easy. He
did not rise with the lark, or'sbrush with
hasty steps the dews away, to meet the
sun upon the upland lawn" If he ever
made an appointment of that kind, he
always spoke with respect both of HIGH
farming and early rising. Indeed he
spoke with respect of everything except
poachers and Dissenters. who happened
to be the two classes which Mr.. Smart
held in high reprobation; and it was
whispered that it was the young fellows
artless sympathy that won the land
steward over to let him have the little
farm. He paid his rent very punctualty
for several years, and by no means mis-
managed the place, but he could scarcely
be said to have improved it; and it was
understood that the Duke would have
none but improving men upon the land.