Stories for the Young | Page 4

knew this could not be found out till the time when the

beans might be expected to come up; "and then, Dick," said he, "the
snails and mice may go shares in the blame; or we can lay the fault on
the rooks or the blackbirds." So saying, he sent the boy into the
parsonage to receive his pay, taking care to secure about a quarter of
the peck of beans for his own colt. He put both bag and beans into his
own pocket to carry home, bidding Dick tell Mr. Wilson that he had
planted the beans and lost the bag.
In the meantime Giles' other boys were busy in emptying the ponds and
trout-streams in the neighboring manor. They would steal away the
carp and tench when they were no bigger than gudgeons. By this
untimely depredation they plundered the owner of his property, without
enriching themselves. But the pleasure of mischief was reward enough.
These and a hundred other little thieveries they committed with such
dexterity, that old Tom Crib, whose son was transported last assizes for
sheep-stealing, used to be often reproaching his boys, that Giles' sons
were worth a hundred of such blockheads as he had; for scarce a night
passed but Giles had some little comfortable thing for supper which his
boys had pilfered in the day, while his undutiful dogs never stole any
thing worth having. Giles, in the meantime, was busy in his way; but as
busy as he was in laying nets, starting coveys, and training dogs, he
always took care that his depredations should not be confined merely to
game.
Giles' boys had never seen the inside of a church, and the father thought
he knew his own interest better than to force them to it; for church-time
was the season of their harvest. Then the hens' nests were searched, a
stray duck was clapped under the smockfrock, the tools which might
have been left by chance in a farm-yard were picked up, and all the
neighboring pigeon-houses were thinned; so that Giles used to boast to
tawny Rachel, his wife, that Sunday was to them the most profitable
day in the week.
With her it was certainly the most laborious day, as she always did her
washing and ironing on Sunday morning, it being, as she said, the only
leisure day she had; for on the other days she went about the country
telling fortunes, and selling dream-books and wicked songs. Neither

her husband's nor her children's clothes were ever mended, and if
Sunday, her idle day, had not come about once in every week, it is
likely they would never have been washed either. You might, however,
see her as you were going to church smoothing her own rags on her
best red cloak, which she always used for her ironing-cloth on Sundays,
for her cloak when she travelled, and for her blanket at night: such a
wretched manager was Rachel.
Among her other articles of trade, one was to make and sell peppermint,
and other distilled waters. These she had the cheap art of making
without trouble and without expense, for she made them without herbs
and without a still. Her way was, to fill so many quart bottles with plain
water, putting a spoonful of mint-water in the mouth of each; these she
corked down with rosin, carrying to each customer a vial of real
distilled water to taste, by way of sample. This was so good that her
bottles were commonly bought up without being opened; but if any
suspicion arose, and she was forced to uncork a bottle, by the few drops
of distilled water lying at top, she even then escaped detection, and
took care to get out of reach before the bottle was opened a second time.
She was too prudent ever to go twice to the same house.
THE UPRIGHT MAGISTRATE.
There is hardly any petty mischief that is not connected with the life of
a poacher. Mr. Wilson was aware of this; he was not only a pious
clergyman, but an upright justice. He used to say, that people who were
truly conscientious, must be so in small things as well as in great ones,
or they would destroy the effect of their own precepts, and their
example would not be of general use. For this reason he never would
accept of a hare or a partridge from any unqualified person in his parish.
He did not content himself with shuffling the thing off by asking no
questions, and pretending to take it for granted in a general way that the
game was fairly come at; but he used to say, that by receiving the booty
he connived at a crime, made himself a sharer in it, and if he gave