south-east.' So I goes to the winder and tells him as how the sky were
clear and the mornin' star shinin' wonderful. 'Ah, she's a beauty,' he
sez, 'and as bright as she were milions o' years ago!'

"After a bit he sez, 'Take yer arm off, Polly, and lay me on my right
side.' When me and Mrs. Rowe 'ad turned 'im round he sez, 'You can fetch
the old Bible and read a bit if you like,' 'What shall I read?' I sez,
when Mrs. Rowe had fetched it, for I wouldn't leave 'im for a minute.
'Read about the Woman in Adultery,' he sez. 'Oh,' I sez, 'that'll do you
no good. You don't want to 'ear about them things now.' 'Yes,' he sez,
'I do. It's the best bit in the book. But if you can't find it, the Box
o' Hointment'll do as well.' 'What can he mean?' I sez. 'He means about
them two women as come to our Lord,' sez Mrs. Rowe. ''Ere, I'll find
'em.' So I give the Bible to Mrs. Rowe and lets her read both of the
bits he wanted.

"While Mrs. Rowe was readin' he lay as still as still, but his eyes were
that bright it a'most scared me to see 'em. When she'd done, he said
never a word, but lay on 'is side, wi' 'is 'ead turned a bit round,
starin' at the window. 'I'm sure he sees summat,' sez Mrs. Rowe to me.
'I wonder wot it is,' I sez. 'P'raps it's our Lord come to fetch 'im,'
she sez. 'I've 'eard o' such things.'

"He must ha' lay like that for ten minutes, breathin' big breaths as
though he were goin' to sleep. Then I sees 'is lips movin', and I 'ad to
bend my 'ead down to 'ear what he were sayin'. 'He's a-blowin' again.
It's the tall shepherd--'im as wrote on the ground--and he's got no dog,
and 'is sheep's scatterin'. It's me he wants. Fetch the old whistle,
Polly, and blow back. I want 'im to know I'm comin'.'

"He kep' repeatin' it, till 'is breath went. I got Mrs. Rowe to blow the
whistle, but he didn't 'ear it, and it made no difference. And so, poor
thing, he just gave one big sigh and he were gone."

FARMER PERRYMAN'S TALL HAT

It was winter, and Farmer Perryman and I were seated in straight-backed
arm-chairs on either side of his kitchen fire. The prosperity attendant
on the labours of Snarley Bob had already begun: the house was roomy and
well furnished; there was a parlour and a drawing-room; but Perryman,
when the day's work was done, preferred the kitchen. And so did I.

Though evening had fallen, the lamp was not yet lit; but the flames of a
wood fire gave light enough for conversational purposes, and imparted