. Our village. ittle bricked court beforeone half, and a little flower-yard before the other ; thewalls, old and weather-stained, covered with holly-hocks, roses, honeysuckles, and a great apricot-trec ;the casements full of geraniums (ah ! there is oursuperb white cat peeping out from among them) ; theclosets (our landlord has the assurance to call themrooms) full of contrivances and corner-cupboards ; andthe little garden behind full of common flowers, tulips,pinks, larkspurs, peonies, stocks, and carnations, withan arbour of privet, not unlike a sentry-box, where onelives in a delicious gre
. Our village. ittle bricked court beforeone half, and a little flower-yard before the other ; thewalls, old and weather-stained, covered with holly-hocks, roses, honeysuckles, and a great apricot-trec ;the casements full of geraniums (ah ! there is oursuperb white cat peeping out from among them) ; theclosets (our landlord has the assurance to call themrooms) full of contrivances and corner-cupboards ; andthe little garden behind full of common flowers, tulips,pinks, larkspurs, peonies, stocks, and carnations, withan arbour of privet, not unlike a sentry-box, where onelives in a delicious green light, and looks out on thegayest of all gay flower-beds. That house was builton purpose to show in what an exceeding small com-pass comfort may be jjacked. Well, I will loiter thereno longer. 12 OUR villa(;k The next tenement is a place of importance, theRose Inn : a white-Avashed building, retired from theroad behind its fine swinging sign, with a little bow-window room coming out on one side, and forming,. ■ Mine host. with our stable on the other, a sort of open square,which is the constant resort of carts, waggons, andreturn chaises. There are two carts there now, andmine host is servine them with beer in his eternal red COUNTRY PICTURES 13 waistcoat. He is a thriving man and a portly, as hiswaistcoat attests, which has been twice let out withinthis twelvemonth. Our landlord has a stirring wife, ahopeful son, and a daughter, the belle of the village ;not so pretty as the fair nymph of the shoe-shop, and farless elegant, but ten times as fine ; all curl-papers in themorning, like a porcupine, all curls in the afternoon,like a poodle, with more flounces than curl-papers, andmore lovers than curls. Miss Phcebe is fitter for townthan country ; and to do her justice, she has a conscious-ness of that fitness, and turns her steps townward as often as she can. She is gone to B to-day with her last and principal lover, a recruiting sergeant-—aman as tall as Sergeant Kite, an
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Keywords: ., bookauthorritchieannethackeray1, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890
