Of late years the old fellow has begun to take the world easily; he works less, and indulges in greater leisure, his son having grown up, and succeeded to him both in the labours of the farm and the exploits of the green.  Like all sons of distinguished men, however, his father’s renown is a disadvantage to him, for he can never come up to public expectation.  Though a fine, active fellow of three-and-twenty, and quite the “cock of the walk,” yet the old people declare he is nothing like what Ready-Money Jack was at his time of life.  The youngster himself acknowledges his inferiority, and has a wonderful opinion of the old man, who indeed taught him all his athletic accomplishments, and holds such a sway over him, that I am told, even to this day, he would have no hesitation to take him in hands, if he rebelled against paternal government.

The squire holds Jack in very high esteem, and shows him to all his visitors as a specimen of old English “heart of oak.”  He frequently calls at his house, and tastes some of his home-brewed, which is excellent.  He made Jack a present of old Tusser’s Hundred Points of good Husbandrie, which has furnished him with reading ever since, and is his text-book and manual in all agricultural and domestic concerns.  He has made dog’s ears at the most favourite passages, and knows many of the poetical maxims by heart.

Tibbets, though not a man to be daunted or fluttered by high acquaintances; and though he cherishes a sturdy independence of mind and manner, yet is evidently gratified by the attentions of the squire, whom he has known from boyhood, and pronounces “a true gentleman every inch of him.”  He is also on excellent terms with Master Simon, who is a kind of privy councillor to the family; but his great favourite is the Oxonian, whom he taught to wrestle and play at quarter-staff when a boy, and considers the most promising young gentleman in the whole county.

[Illustration:  Quarter-Staff]

[Illustration:  Mulligatawney Club]

Bachelors.

    The Bachelor most joyfully
      In pleasant plight doth pass his daies,
    Good fellowship and companie
      He doth maintain and kepe alwaies.

    Evans’ old ballads.

There is no character in the comedy of human life that is more difficult to play well than that of an old bachelor.  When a single gentleman, therefore, arrives at that critical period when he begins to consider it an impertinent question to be asked his age, I would advise him to look well to his ways.  This period, it is true, is much later with some men than with others; I have witnessed more than once the meeting of two wrinkled old lads of this kind, who had not seen each other for several years, and have been amused by the amicable exchange of compliments on each other’s appearance that takes place on such occasions.  There is always one invariable observation, “Why, bless my soul! you look younger than when last I saw you!” Whenever a man’s friends begin to compliment him about looking young, he may be sure that they think he is growing old.