The Storyteller.

Western Star, Issue 346, 24 April 1880, Page 4 (Supplement)

The Storyteller.

THE TWO LANDLORDS. A PICTURE OF COUNTRY LIFE TWENTY YEARS AGO. CHAPTER 11. The people of Compton buried their squire, arid then waited for the new era to proclaim itself. What would the new Idng say on the game question? or what would he do ? The stranger had stopped a day in Compton, he had observed the dilapida-.. tions, moral and material, ; and wished much that a general repair lay with him; He was told of an entail, and went sorrowful away; _ _ / According to the view of some writers, all //We have s-iid of. the . evil plight of ? Compton, might: have been summed:up in two' words, ■ “impoverished’ 5 and “ entailed.” To be entailed and poof, and poor because : entailed, . are two of the. greatest evils that can befall a landed property ;, but, in the case of Compton, it turned out that rumor, which is ever floating in the air, and Will for ever float there, was, as it so often proves to be, unfounded. The old squire, instead of being poor, as he Was -reputed; to have been, and tied hand and foot with settlements, mortgages, and the entail, had left L 30,000 in, hard cash.at his country hankers,, besides: leaving a will, directing the sale of his unentailed and unencumbered property at Compton. i/ -kk % -k* . ; y ; / k’ It would appear, then, that the; condition. bf ah estate, .depend '’-inb're ,sn. t,hp. character of the p wrier than on,the state :of: the law.;.. Unjust laws should be- altered,* hut the ; management of estates /and the J well-being ; pf : the people . will never be brought tb. a .uniform, high level,/ fl,ll all ' owners, are'good agriculturists and,/good agriculturists, and good men,-or till the common sentiment of society - renders the neglect of an estate ad odious' offence/ The Cpmptph, property whs; bought by a Wealthy gentleman named Goodhope, who drove dowji miles, having a tasterfor that sort of exercise, and was recognised, at once as, the gtrauger, whor had been so well receivedJn the parlour of the Dew Drop inn.,,;: -w -!>!;■ k r : Old-fashioned; folk often call a land proSrietor a : “ statesman,” and that is what e ought to he/ He ought to be/ able tp ; detect the. necessity for reform./ .' Alt the. evils in the cajje of Compton .were founded ; in the impoverishmenf.of . the -farms. Capital is the very sun and source of' the' welfare of ap estate,: and if it be lost or re-/ moved; the 1 Samei.'miseries, whfe’n the sun in/hpayen /ceases to/perform/his office of warming, the earth and bringing, to maturity Its cropsahd fruits;Mr Qoodhope 'uhdertook the task of rfe- ! Storing; capital to Compton as,a necessary, preliminary to. all othpf, measures. The times were prosperous, his covenants were • liberal, and his land was good, though the:estate bore d bad character. Among; six selected' applicants ;wfib.' called/;.on .Mr Goodhope together, by appointment, Mr, Xamhert, was the chief spokesman,- by virtue, of. his large capital, and reputationas a farmer.' He was in treaty for Weston/ a fine'"feral of 300//wires,/ the s moat/imb9rr' tant .holdingon the estate., //■ !; // ; // 4 The letting of farms in prosperous times; Is an easy and a simple business. 'The/ landlord settles the terms^.'Wfjkh/ him self, ; and then announces them to the applicants,., and/ .they. are. accepted.; o.jf heo he a “ statesman/”:there is dnore- to do. : ‘‘ !• preferred afeeing you ! altogether, 1 gentlemen,”;/ said : tHb/lbjcd ‘ pf , Compthn,, for the spie oftponferepce and despatch/will consul er j it his .a - cabi net: : council. ;r« The question of rent neecfrnot be k disbursed;/ we ph ;: that pplrtW are 5 with/ ]/.'// The landlord was' here congratulated by ; his vfeitp'rs inifc/y pry. hearty'maniier hn his; f ’ declared / 1 r t/p,/ malt,b/ F ; Qo.m/p an/ exaH^e^sj^e//;// ( Dei: at/tbOr; right end, they said, in the destruction of the groundigame/ >-' • ri k i? n ■ • - “ Yesj aUd/in 1 giving /you;the/right of shooting hares and'rabbits,,in, the /woods and out of during January. I should like to' ; ha've "drawn the line at tp haye; kept, the IQO acres-pf wood r . /exclusively r to Hares eat same<fas said-, one pfrtherfutjare tehantß*. -.Hj • . o i k. ; vri- “ Unfortunately they do. , -Wo : might feed them ; iri/the /wobdM// 'Ott/MF;Mechi 5 s / plan? T to have some woodihopting, and Iradi* fbnd of it* myself / but ;® r if!yd4:must/draw/,thq,iipe par-tj- ; ridges. .r/Ebo coyersnmuafc. he- <allotted* tor. the farpai, o^d-:ypurm»|t9^ppkl -Ic.^nv.yery I/flapnqt •Ifr. ]? eopje.must . 5® deiWm Jsayr^PepPlP # o the farmer. You know the wretched slate they are in. Gentleman, you and I are

the guardians of the poor. I would never have, parted with my woodsj but the truth is that game and a prosperous tenantry are incompatible on the same estate. - Harold and I must forego our hares, and find bur pleasure in the welfare of the people.” The visitors were touched by the manner of this speech, and the y declared the hares should not be killed down so low in January, but that enough for the squire and his son should be found at the fall of. the leaf; and they kept their promise. <f Speaking, sir, of the laborers,” said Mr Lambert, “ their idle days are;,over. They, will have work enough to do in. future.” . ; - “ Yes, we shall need a great many hands for our improvements.” ; “They are rather a rough lot, I am afraid,” said-one of the visitors. • ; ‘f They have been injured to some extent,; no doubt. Nothing spoils good men so soon as want of employment and bad pay, ; There are- remedies in which I teel a- deep interest, and T ; shall, ask. your counsel and co-operation by-and-bye. - At present there is other business to attend to.” , • •-/ -U: - | Mr Goodhope here produced maps of the estate. • : “ With regard to timber” hesaid, “I am guided by the same principles as in the case of game. There must be no bar to perfect-management. The fields must be cleared of hedgerows ready for steam cultivation when it comes. I hope ;to see it soon at Weston,: Mr Laraberti”: ; r • - ; you may,” said Mr Lambert. “I Lam ready for it when it can be made to pay. .But we shall see-it-at the home . .farm: first, sir, I suppose.” . ;/. =< - ’ • ‘/ I don?t mean to farm ran inch of the ; land myself except;the kitchen garden. I: doubt if a, home farm can be made to pay. You are adepts in your art, gentlemen, I am only an amateur.” , 1“ I will tell yon what I think you will prove to be, Mr Goodhope.” - fi; . ; “ What is I “ A first-rate scrutineer,” !Mr Goodhope-rubbed his j h r abdg like a man who felt and anticipated pleasure, and o labghed cheerily./ /,/His /’visitqfb*/were already as much* at home with .Him,, aq the,/ guests at the Dew Drop, inu had heeu. ,;.-: . , i“,The.field timber stands condemned,” said Mr Goodhope, “ for the same reason as; the rabbits, / After all if is not! so ,yei|y bejautifuj; not .beautiful;'at - alI,/ in factor.! only; quaint. At, present; we. : haye. ;no : . breadth of landscape. I was looking for the church spire to-day from the windows /at jYeston,' Mr Lambert, and p'osdtiyely I cb.ul.dV not see it for the trees standing about that .will be:” • I quite agree wjth you,” said the com- 1 - /ing feuariti -/. “ ’Fis a ’good,/ landscape spoiled/ sin” ; /. V// //’/ /!/’////// ; -;i [“/That is/what I, told Mrs /Goodhope'.,. One tree hides:another, : and all the salient points are • obscured by the hedgerows. • She will think so hy-and-bye, I/atn sure. /I'alfO these maps, gentlemen,.two; of//them; among you, and return them to me , with thb, -fields marked out with a viewito steam* cultivation. I-may modify, but I shall not mar your plans;// I propose to. plant :-sbifie' ; clumps /iand small capses at salient, points of the/estate,: with; a view I to •or'nbnient,/ and , for;:; the sake.:of;shelter ; add if these 10 or 15: acres of plantations shbuld/giye; us more ornament than we , .get 'from these .abominable, hedges,'sq .m the better,”/ //V, i; , :;/////’/; '//•/;:■/• // /../, [Mr Lambert being/a diplbm/atist, here -hinted that tHe' question of rent "had not been settled. ; Jn;those;,.days ;a; landlord could, in point of fact, dictate the rent and every thing;- else § ; /.still jf Was j not: worth'-while-assuming that," so Mr Lambert said : with a free-born -air,' “ About the/rent/ sir!.”/ V.'; ' ■/:-./■/''■ V ; ‘ ' /' / ff Forty/ shillings an . acrb,”/said j the’/ landlord/ “ the land tithe free ; its" quality, yoiii arei aware; of as/myself.- /1 ■ osiunot in;the yalae/ of the farmsyou haVe .applied; for,, gen tip-,/ and! the. terms of ’.pcbupati6u-/wUi/be|V the saineWeach farm to .be pnttiin: order and heldin a twenty-one-years’ lease, unless cOhjected’to.” ’ 1 ’- ovry ./ V. / . - e f How I about unexhausted |' irnp'rbye-/ mehts, sir it* / / ■/:////./;.,,:///;,'/// /;/^This;was-a-subject;then but little canbut Mr: Lambert^ 1 as a person of advanced views, felt bound r to broach''it;; and Mr/G'pbdhope, haying/freqUeutly dia- { cussed 'tbe/subject, was ready for /./;. / . . ; f * c The/.question, s '; he. said, /,vis:.-a bora-: paratively simple one with/-mW The land ris- df a 'character *ihat; cannot improved by jdrainibg.;; ’ The buildings/aye for me/ to; do,| and/fpry,pu,,t‘b |:eep/in repgir.' /But i. see'you/have spmething;to ; say, Mr Lamn i bprt *:.-iet ms have it by allraeahs. 5 * ■ / Suppose 3 require' additional build[mgk a ! t ; Ahy time ? 5 ’ ,/, /’; '//[ /'] V ' f '/; T | / //,/•, /;J‘i and /helped; . ‘tp, prepare them, h Do you think‘additions ; . Will -bet needed 1” .ikf/ i-r- ■! ■-•i-.-- ;; J-/5V

• p‘i i/am 'speaking* for allj . !.r I, pee S you Have, a theory to ,air 3r • ft/ * hi T jobT 'ob ’ sufl^ inay'ialter the character'‘of his'husmeW;

he may become a breeder of superior stock for example with’ a world-wide reputation ; he may then require additional buildings which he may have to erect ; will he be paid for them at quitting V' \ “Will they be likely to be required after he has left, Mr Lambert ? I should not ask the. question, but I well know you are not a man of mere theory, nor a man of mere words.” : -

“ I hope not, sir. I must admit that a stud or herd of world-wide ' reputation would not in all probability be found on the same farm during two generations,” ’ u Then,” said Mr Gbodhbpe, f ‘a landlord cannot be called on to pay for exceptional buildings. But if a Bake well should appear among us, we will make him Welcome, and trleat him well; and’if the worst comes to the worst and we don’t do him justice* he can shelter his sheep in homebuilt sheds. There is a very clever young • fellow in the village, James Miles, the son of the wheelwright. If Bakewell cannot build a sheep shed for almost nothing, • Miles Will*’show-him bow.” “ Dp you .not think, , sir, that the. law .as to the removal of buildings by. a tenant is wrong ?” 44 1 think all laws are wrong which favor the landlord; ,but as John Bull is slow; at Reform we shall, probably wait twenty or thirty years for this repeal. Anything more about unexhausted improvements, Mr Lambert i “ Yes, sir; the land is in a foul state, and if.it be left clean at the end of our respective terms, the cost of the improvement should be allowed.” •< V*; - • i “I have walked over: ever field, and I find that yours is the foulest farm, Mr Frost. It is as bad as it Can be. You intend to’have a lease, I hear. At the end of it how much would,you- expect, besides the customary tillages, for leaving the land 'clean.” - ; : ; ■'- : • r . ■' y■_ ’■ ‘ | 44 Upon my word,’ sir,” said Mr Frost, “I don’t know as I c°uld tell you. what I should expect, but Ishould like to, get all Ilcould;”i A'.'h-M/'b “ Quite; right, , Mr : Frost. Would L2 an acre for .every acre left. clean satisfy .you?” f , 44 Tithing Farnijs 300 acres,” said its future tenants “Do you mean L6OO free ifor nothing, besides the tillages : ; |“ That is what' Imean. '* !^Gentljetaien', •; we landlords,;have got tho whip hand of our tenants in .these-’. brisk and, we can make our -own terras:but suppose the times: were- bad,- and I, Mr Frost, .were more at, your mercy than I Jam now, you %buld v nb|ask:fpf compensation for couch at theexpiratiop of your lease, but at the. commencement; Our friend, Mr Lambert, with liis theories, has put lis on ; the • wrong ‘ scent:”-';” 0 ' I'’ 1 '’ :u '• T. !“ fcio be tas, sir,” said Mr Frost, with ' a jqviaTgnfi “We ought to, setfle'for the couch nowj sir, and not twenty-one years : hence. 4 A bird in hand’s worth two in the bush.’,” H lam entirely against the/;principle of /piling up a bill for thi incoming tenant to pay,” s aid-Mf -Gfbodhope, “ and I will act "the same as if.we on level terms. I will help you make your bargains,; gentlerhea, ThatJstheJhoneat policy, and may ba the the long run.. If bad.-.times ; overtake lis, they shaU find; this estate well equipped, the rents ten,.,- serews at least . helpw the, topmost, and, the..tenants (Jet us hope); well balanced. at the. bankers.”-/;• i’’ Y.qur. tjtheory. of estate, management, sir, cpuld hot possibly be.aoundpr,” said Mr Lambert, “so far as I understand jit.” i 4 about ti^e.couch,. sir 1”,-said Mr Ffost, you,spoke of ready ..payment f’i :

L2 twenty-one years,., hence, wpuld not be so. good,; at d.per: cent.; com* pound interest, as Li noi,w.*’j j r; -. ; ; . j ; , f good, .sir,” said Mr Frost, with, his broadest smile;, f.?- , n -

:“i will pay Ll an :acre ; for the couch ndw, and we will have a memorandum that sublija payment has been, made,; ;the farm being |ou], ; arid that the, money should be returned with compound interest, at the expiration of.the lease,, pnless. the lan/1 be left in a clean husbandlike condition, the poiri ;tq be arranged.' by.. arbitration, the arbitrators being you and'me, pr bur representatives’,' and. an' umpire to.' be appointed wboV-knows/ the Vla,nd, ; / do| W ‘leave ‘ these to the lawyers, gentlemen. ’* . V ... ; 11 obliged' to. you, sir,” said Mr Frost..’/-'

J; g Can’t,you- think of Some more unexhausted improvements, ;• Mr ;Lambert* to be paM.for beforehand?h;;.- -vq •f*/< , “In:regard, to Ci condition ?- s Mr- Gbodbppe* ■ rNfbe . land is in" poor •.* condition.’ Suppose it be left full of manure

' ‘‘ln the casie of an expiring ; lease, that ; ! ia( not'likely,” said Mr : Gdddhope,' “ ! ndr, phi the other hand, are practical ana : - ahiiewdjmen likely; to ! try the experiment of imnnihg thedand -put and burning their- ! -dngersdin. iof £pLQ cabinet -conncilpwe n must ibgisla'tefor average cakesj. yre fcanhot legislate; for. ex:eeptions,s 7 Gan 'syou I propose, iapibetter iacdempthamthis lathis landib^inj^-out of ; ; heart*- theicrppibfißtraw yon 'kilkpreseutlya small* and bydbescUstom-ofr :|he cpnntryiit should bfevalued'to ! a fodder price. Suppose you take -it at a

market price, paying the difference into my pocket. The operation will riot enrich me much, and at-quitting' yon will get the benefit, if your crops have become bulky through high farming. ” “ I think I may say we are all perfectly ; satisfied,” said Mr Lathbert: “ I see, sir, ! that you are proceeding on principle.” ‘‘And it’s a principle,” said Mr Frosty “ which I like uncommonly, and I’rri darned if your plans aint right, too, be*'; tween man and man*” and Mr Frost slapped his hand flat down upon his big leg. all the world; was honest, sir,” he. said, looking -straight in the squire’s face, “ and if eacfi helped t’other, instead of trying to get the better of him, we should : prosper more all round, and make our ; fortunes quicker.” ; J The “council” then arranged payments for the unexhausted value of feeding stuffs ’ and manures in the last years of tenancy. . Such arrangement were novelthen, they are not so much so now as to require ‘discussion and description here, i “ And now,” said Mr Goodhope,r “I - have some unexhausted: improvements to claim; I will tell-you what will happen. A railway will come; up this valley, to ; connect the- coast and London, within five i years, and there will be a station at / Compton. Yon will then send your pfoduce to London, and perhaps turn your land into market, gardens worth LIO an > acre.”; ;; sr >1 •••’ -

-“'lt': you have nonobjection; sir;” said Mr -Frost,-“ we Will-pay for? the railroad at the end of the lease instead of the be- - ginning;” -is- k “I suppose,” said the squire, u I must 0 consider the railway, when it Comes; as a : : ' gift of the country to my tenants. > swum

; Those six applications ,; hired between. them 2000 acres, and the reat : of the estate ’ ; (about 3000 acres more), was.lpt in farmij... of' from 150 to; t 3QO acres, ’ besides a dozen j ,I plots of.frdra\2bitp;;sp''.acr^ : which were r [ held provisionally by the nearest ; occupier ; . in reserve for deserving men. The abomi-.

natle nest of .gardenless cottages in-the .. village, called the Oxyard, was pulled down, and the new cottages were distributed . over the farms, a little nearer td; the work . and further from the Bull. Mrs Thbr'n- ; ! back lost • her' trade,; and : Williaih 1 Root ; brewed an excellent jinixture of malt and-’;; hops at bomb. . '• ;; - ; Mr Goodhopei worked,: at his Jmproye,- ~= meats with heart and soul. ; Many a,walk, |- he and his council’took over’ the land

together, and ;’mbst admirable andeconomical were the results of'their colleetivb Judgment.: delaying at- estate manage- ’*!? ment; or shirking it as agents ’ may sometimes'doi'.are' quite different:; things front ■' the jr' tc ; statesman-like” : - method. - ■ The ; '

energy of Squire Good hope created energy'' 1 in all- concerned’-and. ensured : success. ' * Changes affecting individuals were; avoided/ 7 as far as possible^ h farms wCreialready- on market whea :; ’ 7 the estate was %old;: : iwnr. ;i • - i.

\ Three or four were held hy neighboring ' u ; farmers and speculators at a £ low price who ’.. were glad to l be fid Of. "them, having had It

their fingers badly "bitten; by the fabbjts;; *,■ Somewere bn;fiaud;--'others; : were held hy°. “ old ■ fellows’ who retifediri favpf pf energetic; '% sons/ so that the 1 Humber 1 of ’evicted”" !! 1 tenants, to use : the "harshest term, ;waS 0 small. • Numerous' other changes thef§ u ‘ iT were, no 'dbnbtj, bht ;; Mf Gbodhdpe was"S i f: consummate • tacticiain and His changes; ■' were not only advantageous, 1 b.ut they wefe ; 1 made to seem inevitable! Who could 1 rCr ov/

gfet the 1 Oxyard ! 1 /could of the big gardens (from a quafter to; half ? an acre) tacked "on to the new _ and taken off the farms before they were ; r let 1. f hiiio&z ■ fivduss-; •?. j;rlT

But of Mr.Gppdhope’p plans for imJ>roying the. condition of s the. laborers 1 ..(0f, 1 rather, for : enablibg' tbbpa to improve it for themselves)—piece-woi;k paymenfcs, allotment grohndsy/ village feady-iaioney shops, cow plots, and the rest'of them—we must let. him" speak elsewhere. / . , {To be Continued,) ;