The village, lone and silent thro’ the day,
Receiving from the fields its merry bands,
Sends forth its ev’ning sound, confus’d but cheerful;
Whilst dogs and children, eager housewives’ tongues,
And true love ditties, in no plaintive strain,
By shrill voic’d maid, at open window sung;
The lowing of the home-returning kine,
The herd’s low droning trump, and tinkling bell
Tied to the collar of his fav’rite sheep,
Make no contemptible variety
To ears not over nice.——­
With careless lounging gait, the saunt’ring youth
Upon his sweetheart’s open window leans,
And as she turns about her buzzing wheel
Diverts her with his jokes and harmless taunts. 
Close by the cottage door, with placid mien,
The old man sits upon his seat of turf,
His staff with crooked head laid by his side,
Which oft the younger race in wanton sport,
Gambolling round him, slyly steal away,
And straddling o’er it, shew their horsemanship
By raising round the clouds of summer sand,
While still he smiles, yet chides them for the trick. 
His silver locks upon his shoulders spread,
And not ungraceful is his stoop of age. 
No stranger passes him without regard;
And ev’ry neighbour stops to wish him well,
And ask him his opinion of the weather. 
They fret not at the length of his discourse,
But listen with respect to his remarks
Upon the various seasons he remembers;
For well he knows the many divers signs
Which do fortell high winds, or rain, or drought,
Or ought that may affect the rising crop. 
The silken clad, who courtly breeding boast,
Their own discourse still sweetest to their ears,
May grumble at the old man’s lengthened story,
But here it is not so.——­

From ev’ry chimney mounts the curling smoke,
Muddy and gray, of the new ev’ning fire;
On ev’ry window smokes the fam’ly supper,
Set out to cool by the attentive housewife,
While cheerful groups at every door conven’d
Bawl cross the narrow lane the parish news,
And oft the bursting laugh disturbs the air. 
But see who comes to set them all agag! 
The weary-footed pedlar with his pack. 
How stiff he bends beneath his bulky load! 
Cover’d with dust, slip-shod, and out at elbows;
His greasy hat sits backward on his head;
His thin straight hair divided on his brow
Hangs lank on either side his glist’ning cheeks,
And woe-begone, yet vacant is his face. 
His box he opens and displays his ware. 
Full many a varied row of precious stones
Cast forth their dazzling lustre to the light. 
To the desiring maiden’s wishful eye
The ruby necklace shews its tempting blaze: 
The china buttons, stamp’d with love device,
Attract the notice of the gaping youth;
Whilst streaming garters, fasten’d to a pole,
Aloft in air their gaudy stripes display,
And from afar the distant stragglers lure. 
The children leave their play and round him flock;