overthrow
authorities and powers; and we are sorry to say it was successful. Our
friend the farmer discovered the presence of some insects in the wool,
or rather in the body, of one of the yearlings. He proceeded, attended
by us all, to extirpate this fatal enemy with his shears; and, having
seized the sufferer, put its head between his knees, and proceeded to
lay bare the hiding-place of the devouring grub. By some unlucky
chance, the lamb got its head loose, pushed forward with two or three
tremendous jumps, and the operator was thrown on his back, his feet in
the air, and the shears held helplessly up in his discomfited hands.
It created great consternation among the spectators; and the two
younger children, after looking on in speechless amazement, thought,
probably, that the assailant was a tiger in disguise, and sought
safety ignominiously in flight. The patient--the lamb, we mean--was
again submitted to the shears, the grub extirpated, and the cure, we
believe, effected. The muscular power of a sheep is tremendous; and,
if it were to get its head between the ankles of the brazen Achilles,
down would fall the glory of Hyde Park. It is lucky they have not
found out the secret of their strength, as they might take such a
dangerous attitude as materially to raise the price of mutton--a
consummation by no means to be wished.

In addition to the cows and sheep, and innumerable multitudes of
chickens and turkeys, the farm boasted a goodly array of horses. These
would have made a poor figure at Newmarket, as they were no kin to
Godolphin or Eclipse--but in plough or harrow they looked respectable.
There was an old mare, and her daughter, and her daughter's
daughter--Grannie, and Polly, and Rose by name. There were also
another mare and her foal; but our acquaintance was confined to the
three generations--or rather to the two--for Grannie was old and
stupid; and as the farmer sported a fine old-fashioned strong rough
gig, we occasionally pressed Polly into the service, put two or three
children on footstools in the front, brandished a whip that had done
duty at the plough, and trotted off with the easy dignity of four
miles an hour, and lionized the whole neighbourhood. Amidst bumps, and
thumps, and bursts of laughter at the unwieldy turn-out, the excursion
was pleasanter than if made in a chariot and four.

One day we started off to visit Ragland Castle; the distance was five
or six miles, the day beautiful, the mare i