White dressed a very plentiful supper of meat and pudding;
and spread out two tables. The farmer sat at the head of one,
consisting of some of his neighbors, and all his work-people. At the
other sat his wife, with two long-benches on each side of her. On
these benches sat all the old and infirm poor, especially those who
lived in the work-house, and had no day of festivity to look forward
to in the whole year but this. On the grass, in the little court,
sat the children of his laborers, and of the other poor, whose
employment it had been to gather flowers, and dress and adorn the
horns of the ram; for the farmer did not wish to put an end to an
old custom, if it was innocent. His own children stood by the table,
and he gave them plenty of pudding, which they carried to the
children of the poor, with a little draught of cider to every one.
The farmer, who never sat down without begging a blessing on his
meal, did it with suitable solemnity on the present joyful occasion.

Dr. Shepherd practiced one very useful method, which I dare say was
not peculiar to himself; a method of which I doubt not other country
clergymen have found the advantage. He was often on the watch to
observe those seasons when a number of his parishioners were
assembled together, not only at any season of festivity, but at
their work. He has been known to turn a walk through a hay-field to
good account; and has been found to do as much good by a few
minutes' discourse with a little knot of reapers, as by a Sunday's
sermon. He commonly introduced his religious observations by some
questions relating to their employment; he first gained their
affections by his kindness, and then converted his influence over
them to their soul's good. The interest he took in their worldly
affairs opened their hearts to the reception of those divine truths
which he was always earnest to impress upon them. By these methods
too he got acquainted with their several characters, their
spiritual wants, their individual sins, dangers, and temptations,
which enabled him to preach with more knowledge and successful
application, than those ministers can do who are unacquainted with
the state of their congregations. It was a remark of Dr. Shepherd,
that a thorough acquaintance with human nature was one of the most
important species of knowledge a clergyman could possess.

The sheep-shearing feast, though orderly and decent, was yet hearty
and cheerful. Dr. Shepherd dropped in, w