ideration the important additions that their free growth affords
to the sources of enjoyment and amusement of our youthful population
in country districts. 'Snagging' (for sloes are called _snags_ in some
counties), nutting, blackberry picking, cherry hunting--all in their
turn form attractions to the boys and girls in our villages; and many
a merry party sallies forth into the woods on a half or whole holiday,
with satchel, bag, and basket, to enjoy the fresh air and bright
sunshine, and to leap, and jump, and rejoice in all the wild vagaries
of youth among the fresh uplands and hills, scrambling over all
obstruction--the elder climbing the old trees, and rifling them of
their spoil--the younger and less adventurous hooking down the
branches, and claiming the right of all they can collect 'by hook or
by crook.' But wo to the poor mothers who have to mend the garments in
which the onslaught has been made!--wo to the little boy or girl whose
mother has not the good sense to discern, in her child's rosy cheeks
and bright eyes, a compensation for the rags in the frock or trousers,
which is sure to be the consequence of a day spent in harrying the
shrubs and briers! But many centuries must our youth have thus
'imbibed both sweet and smart' from yielding to these woodland
attractions. May not we fancy whole herds of our little British or
Anglo-Saxon ancestors rushing forth into the almost inaccessible woods
which in those days clothed our island, their long sunny hair hanging
to the waist--for 'no man was allowed to cut his hair until he had
slaine an enemy of his country in the field, or at least taken his
armes from him'--clothed in linen, their fair skins disfigured by the
blue woad with which they were accustomed to paint themselves, and
armed with cross-bows, all as merry, as idle, and as reckless as the
children of the present century? We may fancy these little Leowulphs
and Siegfrieds, with their admiring little Edgithas and Edithas
looking on, whilst they climbed the tall trees with the agility of
wild-cats and squirrels, most proud when they could attain the richest
and ripest fruit, and but spurred on to greater enthusiasm by the
knowledge that wolves and bears were by no means rare visitors in
those pristine forests. Or we may picture to ourselves their parents
and elders, after a long summer-day spent in hunting the wild-boar,
the bear, or the more timid deer, rejoicing to slake their thirst, and
refresh themselve