But the hop-grower, at the time of his rich harvest, is compelled to call in the help of other hands than those in his own neighbourhood; for unless picked speedily the hop soon fades, and loses some of its best properties. In fact, a single night of tempestuous wind, has been known to lessen the worth of the crop by nearly one half, spoiling its colour and withering its blossoms.

At his own cost therefore, the farmer is sometimes led to bring down from the metropolis whole waggon loads of those unfortunate vagabonds of both sexes, who are compelled by want and destitution to pick up a living how they can; regardless of laws, excepting, as far as possible to keep clear of their extreme penalties and punishments. Such vans of the dregs of London may frequently be seen at the season of “hopping," coming in wild riot along the shady lanes, and hailing with boisterous joy every ale-house and beer-shop they approach; and where they indeed too frequently have the privilege of indulging their taste for drink at the expense of their hirers.

At no other period of their lives are these outcasts held in such request, or can earn so much for the services they render. Six weeks

does their time of harvest last, and as the general quantity picked by a hop-gatherer in a day is about sixteen bushels, by which he gains from fifteen to eighteen pence, his board and lodging (that is to say, bread, milk, and potatoes, and a shed to sleep in) being provided for him by his employer, the profits may, with industry, be considerable.

The work is overlooked by a tally-man, who gives to each gatherer a tally on which are put the marks of the bushels he has picked, so that at the end of the season, by producing his tallies, the hopper may demand payment for his work.

During one of these seasons of mixed employment and pleasure, a gentleman happened to pass one evening along the road from Maidstone to Merryworth, and never before having been in this part of England, he was much struck with the busy scene it at times presented, and the strange appearance and dress of some of the "hoppers" not a little amused him. Having however walked a long distance, he was tired enough to desire rest, and determined to stop and ask leave to do so at some cottage.

All however were closed, father, mother, children, all were absent from home at "hopping;"

at such seasons no smoke issues from the chimneys except at night, even meals are of secondary importance.

The gentleman, disappointed in finding the door of the last cottage he reached fast shut, unfastened the gate of an orchard and seated himself on an old stump, under one of the cherry-trees.

The orchards, with the plantations of chesnut and ash, which are grown for the purpose of making hop-poles, added greatly to the beauty of the scene, and the hum of the distant voices fell not unpleasantly upon the ear of the tired traveller, though in his heart he could not help wishing that they had come from the cottage near which he was resting.

Hop-picking on a bright moonlight night sometimes extends to as late an hour as ten o'clock, but of this fact the stranger was not aware, or he would not have resolved to wait, as he did, for the evening return from toil of the people who might belong to the cottage.

Time passed along, and the distant clock tolled eight; still the traveller sat on; he did not hear the sound, for while thinking it was getting late enough to be moving onwards, he had fallen fast asleep. His rest would have

continued much longer, but that a dog suddenly rushed over the hedge barking furiously.

The gentleman awoke in alarm, not for the moment recollecting where he was. "Down sir, down," was now heard, and the dog obeyed the command, still however growling as if he thought the intruder had no business in his master's orchard.

A young man now approached; he had just run down the lane, and by opening the door of the cottage let out the dog. The gentleman rising from his cool seat called to him to ask if he was far from any inn.

The young man civilly replied that about two miles further on the road he could be accommodated.

"Is there no farm-house that would afford me a supper and a bed ?" asked the stranger; "I have been trying the fishing of the Medway, and have got at least half my supper in my fishing basket."

Well, I don't know," said the young man, (whom we will call William,) "we had a bed to offer last summer, but now you see it is occupied, and the person that is now lying there, is the cause why I have run home so

"Let me have a doze in an arm chair, young man," said the stranger, "it is all I ask, for I am tired enough you see to have already fallen. asleep in a much less comfortable place."

A second look at the stranger having convinced William that he was no common strag gler, he begged him to come into the cottage, to which he led the way, and the dog sniffing alternately at the basket of fish, and the gentleman's gaiters, quietly followed.

As the door of the kitchen was opened, a fecble voice was heard from a room, the door of which led into it.

"Is that you, William ?"

"Aye, aye," said William cheerfully," here I am, but cannot stay longer than just to see how you get on, old fellow! I will be with you in less time than you could pick a cluster of hops.' "Please to sit down, sir," said William pointing to an arm chair far too heavy to be moved from its corner near the now empty fire-place.

When the gentleman was seated, William with a handiness not often to be found in his sex, speedily lighted a fire, and carefully pouring some soup from a pitcher into a saucepan, heated, and placed it in a basin.

Savoury as it smells," said the stranger,