andtherewasseldomamorningthathedidnotmanagetosecureahandfulofhardcurds，indefianceofCharityandofthefarmer’swife。Thelattergoodsoulwasagaunt，angularwoman，who，withanoldblackbonnetonthetopofherhead，thestringsdanglingabouthershoulders，andhergowntuckedthroughherpocket-holes，wentclatteringaboutthedairy，cheese-room，andyard，inhighpattens。Charitywassomesortofnieceoftheoldlady’s，andwasconsequentlyfreeofthefarmhouseandgarden，intowhichshecouldnotresistgoingforthepurposesofgossipandflirtationwiththeheir-apparent，whowasadawdlingfellow，neveroutatworkasheoughttohavebeen。ThemomentCharityhadfoundhercousin，oranyotheroccupation，Tomwouldslipaway；andinaminuteshrillcrieswouldbeheardfromthedairy，“Charity，Charity，theelazyhuzzy，wherebist？“andTomwouldbreakcover，handsandmouthfullofcurds，andtakerefugeontheshakysurfaceofthegreatmuckreservoirinthemiddleoftheyard，disturbingthereposeofthegreatpigs。Herehewasinsafety，asnogrownpersoncouldfollowwithoutgettingovertheirknees；andthelucklessCharity，whileherauntscoldedherfromthedairydoor，forbeing“allushankeringaboutarterourWillum，insteadofmindingMasterTom，“woulddescendfromthreatstocoaxing，tolureTomoutofthemuck，whichwasrisingoverhisshoes，andwouldsoontellataleonhisstockings，forwhichshewouldbesuretocatchitfrommissus’smaid。
　　Tomhadtwoabettors，intheshapeofacoupleofoldboys，NoahandBenjaminbyname，whodefendedhimfromCharity，andexpendedmuchtimeuponhiseducation。TheywerebothofthemretiredservantsofformergenerationsoftheBrowns。NoahCrookewasakeen，dryoldmanofalmostninety，butstillabletototterabout。HetalkedtoTomquiteasifhewereoneofhisownfamily，andindeedhadlongcompletelyidentifiedtheBrownswithhimself。InsomeremoteagehehadbeentheattendantofaMissBrown，andhadconveyedheraboutthecountryonapillion。Hehadalittleroundpictureoftheidenticalgrayhorse，caparisonedwiththeidenticalpillion，beforewhichheusedtodoasortoffetishworship，andabuseturnpike-roadsandcarriages。Heworeanoldfull-bottomedwig，thegiftofsomedandyoldBrownwhomhehadvaletedinthemiddleoflastcentury，whichhabilimentMasterTomlookeduponwithconsiderablerespect，nottosayfear；andindeedhiswholefeelingtowardsNoahwasstronglytaintedwithawe。Andwhentheoldgentlemanwasgatheredtohisfathers，Tom’slamentationoverhimwasnotunaccompaniedbyacertainjoyathavingseenthelastofthewig。“PooroldNoah，deadandgone，“saidhe；
　　“TomBrownsosorry。Puthiminthecoffin，wigandall。“
　　ButoldBenjywasyoungmaster’srealdelightandrefuge。HewasayouthbythesideofNoah，scarceseventyyearsold——acheery，humorous，kind-heartedoldman，fullofsixtyyearsofValegossip，andofallsortsofhelpfulwaysforyoungandold，butaboveallforchildren。ItwashewhobentthefirstpinwithwhichTomextractedhisfirststicklebackoutof“PebblyBrook，“thelittlestreamwhichranthroughthevillage。Thefirststicklebackwasasplendidfellow，withfabulousredandbluegills。Tomkepthiminasmallbasintillthedayofhisdeath，andbecameafishermanfromthatday。Withinamonthfromthetakingofthefirststickleback，Benjyhadcarriedoffourherotothecanal，indefianceofCharity；andbetweenthem，afterawholeafternoon’spopjoying，theyhadcaughtthreeorfoursmall，coarsefishandaperch，averagingperhapstwoandahalfounceseach，whichTomborehomeinrapturetohismotherasapreciousgift，andwhichshereceivedlikeatruemotherwithequalrapture，instructingthecooknevertheless，inaprivateinterview，nottopreparethesamefortheSquire’sdinner。CharityhadappealedagainstoldBenjyinthemeantime，representingthedangersofthecanalbanks；butMrs。Brown，seeingtheboy’sinaptitudeforfemaleguidance，haddecidedinBenjy’sfavour，andfromthenceforththeoldmanwasTom’sdrynurse。Andastheysatbythecanalwatchingtheirlittlegreen-and-whitefloat，BenjywouldinstructhiminthedoingsofdeceasedBrowns。Howhisgrandfather，intheearlydaysofthegreatwar，whentherewasmuchdistressandcrimeintheVale，andthemagistrateshadbeenthreatenedbythemob，hadriddeninwithabigstickinhishand，andheldthepettysessionsbyhimself。Howhisgreat-uncle，therector，hadencounteredandlaidthelastghost，whohadfrightenedtheoldwomen，maleandfemale，oftheparishoutoftheirsenses，andwhoturnedouttobetheblacksmith’sapprenticedisguisedindrinkandawhitesheet。ItwasBenjy，too，whosaddledTom’sfirstpony，andinstructedhiminthemysteriesofhorsemanship，teachinghimtothrowhisweightbackandkeephishandlow，andwhostoodchucklingoutsidethedoorofthegirls’schoolwhenTomrodehislittleShetlandintothecottageandroundthetable，wheretheolddameandherpupilswereseatedattheirwork。
　　BenjyhimselfwascomeofafamilydistinguishedintheValefortheirprowessinallathleticgames。Somehalf-dozenofhisbrothersandkinsmenhadgonetothewars，ofwhomonlyonehadsurvivedtocomehome，withasmallpension，andthreebulletsindifferentpartsofhisbody；hehadsharedBenjy’scottagetillhisdeath，andhadlefthimhisolddragoon’sswordandpistol，whichhungoverthemantelpiece，flankedbyapairofheavysingle-stickswithwhichBenjyhimselfhadwonrenownlongagoasanoldgamester，againstthepickedmenofWiltshireandSomersetshire，inmanyagoodboutattherevelsandpastimesofthecountry-side。Forhehadbeenafamousback-swordmaninhisyoungdays，andagoodwrestleratelbowandcollar。
　　Back-swordingandwrestlingwerethemostseriousholidaypursuitsoftheVale——thosebywhichmenattainedfame——andeachvillagehaditschampion。Isupposethat，onthewhole，peoplewerelessworkedthenthantheyarenow；atanyrate，theyseemedtohavemoretimeandenergyfortheoldpastimes。
　　Thegreattimesforback-swordingcameroundonceayearineachvillage；atthefeast。TheVale“veasts“werenotthecommonstatutefeasts，butmuchmoreancientbusiness。Theyareliterally，sofarasonecanascertain，feastsofthededication-thatis，theywerefirstestablishedinthechurchyardonthedayonwhichthevillagechurchwasopenedforpublicworship，whichwasonthewakeorfestivalofthepatronsaint，andhavebeenheldonthesamedayineveryyearsincethattime。
　　Therewasnolongeranyremembranceofwhythe“veast“hadbeeninstituted，butneverthelessithadapleasantandalmostsacredcharacterofitsown；foritwasthenthatallthechildrenofthevillage，wherevertheywerescattered，triedtogethomeforaholidaytovisittheirfathersandmothersandfriends，bringingwiththemtheirwagesorsomelittlegiftfromupthecountryfortheoldfolk。Perhapsforadayortwobefore，butatanyrateon“veastday“andthedayafter，inourvillage，youmightseestrapping，healthyyoungmenandwomenfromallpartsofthecountrygoingroundfromhousetohouseintheirbestclothes，andfinishingupwithacallonMadamBrown，whomtheywouldconsultastoputtingouttheirearningstothebestadvantage，orhowbesttoexpendthesameforthebenefitoftheoldfolk。Everyhousehold，howeverpoor，managedtoraisea“feast-cake“andabottleofgingerorraisinwine，whichstoodonthecottagetablereadyforallcomers，andnotunlikelytomakethemrememberfeast-time，forfeast-cakeisverysolid，andfullofhugeraisins。Moreover，feast-timewasthedayofreconciliationfortheparish。IfJobHigginsandNoahFreemanhadn’tspokenforthelastsixmonths，their“oldwomen“wouldbesuretogetitpatchedupbythatday。Andthoughtherewasagooddealofdrinkingandlowviceintheboothsofanevening，itwasprettywellconfinedtothosewhowouldhavebeendoingthelike，“veastornoveast；“andonthewhole，theeffectwashumanisingandChristian。Infact，theonlyreasonwhythisisnotthecasestillisthatgentlefolkandfarmershavetakentootheramusements，andhave，asusual，forgottenthepoor。Theydon’tattendthefeaststhemselves，andcallthemdisreputable；whereuponthesteadiestofthepoorleavethemalso，andtheybecomewhattheyarecalled。Classamusements，betheyfordukesorploughboys，alwaysbecomenuisancesandcursestoacountry。Thetruecharmofcricketandhuntingisthattheyarestillmoreorlesssociableanduniversal；there’saplaceforeverymanwhowillcomeandtakehispart。
　　Nooneinthevillageenjoyedtheapproachof“veastday“morethanTom，intheyearinwhichhewastakenunderoldBenjy’stutelage。Thefeastwasheldinalargegreenfieldatthelowerendofthevillage。TheroadtoFarringdonranalongonesideofit，andthebrookbythesideoftheroad；andabovethebrookwasanotherlarge，gentle，slopingpasture-land，withafootpathrunningdownitfromthechurchyard；andtheoldchurch，theoriginatorofallthemirth，toweredupwithitsgraywallsandlancetwindows，overlookingandsanctioningthewhole，thoughitsownsharethereinhadbeenforgotten。Atthepointwherethefootpathcrossedthebrookandroad，andenteredonthefieldwherethefeastwasheld，wasalong，lowroadsideinn；andontheoppositesideofthefieldwasalargewhitethatchedfarmhouse，wheredweltanoldsportingfarmer，agreatpromoteroftherevels。
　　Pasttheoldchurch，anddownthefootpath，potteredtheoldmanandthechildhand-in-handearlyontheafternoonofthedaybeforethefeast，andwanderedallroundtheground，whichwasalreadybeingoccupiedbythe“cheapJacks，“withtheirgreen-
　　coveredcartsandmarvellousassortmentofwares；andtheboothsofmorelegitimatesmalltraders，withtheirtemptingarraysoffairingsandeatables；andpennypeep-showsandothershows，containingpink-eyedladies，anddwarfs，andboa-constrictors，andwildIndians。ButtheobjectofmostinteresttoBenjy，andofcoursetohispupilalso，wasthestageofroughplankssomefourfeethigh，whichwasbeingputupbythevillagecarpenterfortheback-swordingandwrestling。Andaftersurveyingthewholetenderly，oldBenjyledhischargeawaytotheroadsideinn，whereheorderedaglassofaleandalongpipeforhimself，anddiscussedtheseunwontedluxuriesonthebenchoutsideinthesoftautumneveningwithminehost，anotheroldservantoftheBrowns，andspeculatedwithhimonthelikelihoodofagoodshowofoldgamesterstocontendforthemorrow’sprizes，andtoldtalesofthegallantboutsoffortyyearsback，towhichTomlistenedwithallhisearsandeyes。
　　Butwhoshalltellthejoyofthenextmorning，whenthechurchbellswereringingamerrypeal，andoldBenjyappearedintheservants’hall，resplendentinalongbluecoatandbrassbuttons，andapairofoldyellowbuckskinsandtop-bootswhichhehadcleanedforandinheritedfromTom’sgrandfather，astoutthornstickinhishand，andanosegayofpinksandlavenderinhisbuttonhole，andledawayTominhisbestclothes，andtwonewshillingsinhisbreeches-pockets？Thosetwo，atanyrate，looklikeenjoyingtheday’srevel。
　　Theyquickentheirpacewhentheygetintothechurchyard，foralreadytheyseethefieldthrongedwithcountryfolk；themeninclean，whitesmocksorvelveteenorfustiancoats，withroughplushwaistcoatsofmanycolours，andthewomeninthebeautiful，longscarletcloak——theusualout-doordressofwest-countrywomeninthosedays，andwhichoftendescendedinfamiliesfrommothertodaughter——orinnew-fashionedstuffshawls，which，iftheywouldbutbelieveit，don’tbecomethemhalfsowell。Theairresoundswiththepipeandtabor，andthedrumsandtrumpetsoftheshowmenshoutingatthedoorsoftheircaravans，overwhichtremendouspicturesofthewonderstobeseenwithinhangtemptingly；whilethroughallrisestheshrill“root-too-too-too“ofMr。Punch，andtheunceasingpan-pipeofhissatellite。
　　“Lawka’massey，Mr。Benjamin，“criesastout，motherlywomaninaredcloak，astheyenterthefield，“bethatyou？Well，I
　　never！Youdolookpurely。Andhow’stheSquire，andmadam，andthefamily？“
　　Benjygraciouslyshakeshandswiththespeaker，whohasleftourvillageforsomeyears，buthascomeoverfor“veast“dayonavisittoanoldgossip，andgentlyindicatestheheir-apparentoftheBrowns。
　　“Blesshislittleheart！Imustgi’unakiss——Here，Susannah，Susannah！“criesshe，raisingherselffromtheembrace，“comeandseeMr。BenjaminandyoungMasterTom——YoumindsourSukey，Mr。Benjamin；shebegrowedarareslipofawenchsinceyouseenher，thoughher’llbesixteencomeMartinmas。Idoaimtotakehertoseemadamtogetheraplace。“