[Picture: The Village] PASTORALS OF DORSET * * * * * BY M. E. FRANCIS (MRS. FRANCIS BLUNDELL) [Picture: Publisher’s Logo] WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY CLAUD C. DU PRÉ COOPER * * * * * _NEW IMPRESSION_ LONGMANS, GREEN AND CO. 39 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON FOURTH AVENUE & 30TH STREET, NEW YORK BOMBAY, CALCUTTA, AND MADRAS 1915 [_All rights reserved_] NOTE. SOME of these stories have already appeared in _The Cornhill Magazine_, _Longman’s Magazine_, _Temple Bar_, _Punch_, _The Times Weekly_ and _The Illustrated London News_; and are reprinted by kind permission of the Editors of these periodicals. CONTENTS. PAGE SHEPHERD ROBBINS 1 PRIVATE GRIGGS 27 UP AT THE ’LOTMENTS 61 THE ONLY SOLDIER 83 A RUSTIC ARGUS 113 THE ROSY PLATE 141 BECKY AND BITHEY 175 THE LOVER’S WRAITH 197 JOHNNY AT SHROTON FAIR 214 THE ROUT OF THE CONQUEROR 253 HOW GRANFER VOLUNTEERED 295 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. THE VILLAGE _Frontispiece_ “I BE MAZED; I BE FAIR MAZED” 15 THERE, ON THE NARROW STAIRS, STOOD THE GIRL HERSELF 45 “THEY’LL NOT SO MUCH AS GI’E US A TATER” 68 “I BE A-HANGIN’ OUT A FLAG FOR THE VICTORY AS HE’VE 112 A-HELPED TO WIN!” “OH, LIZZIE, I’VE SUCH A PIECE OF NEWS FOR YOU!” 137 “SO IT’S TO BE HIM AFTER ALL!” 209 “YOU DO SEEM TO BE CHOPPIN’ A LOT THIS EVENIN’, 215 DADA” “EVERY ONE IN THE PLACE WAS TURNIN’ TO LOOK AT ME, 310 SAME AS IF I’D BEEN A SHOW” FINIS 316 SHEPHERD ROBBINS. FARMER JOYCE walked meditatively up the steep, deeply-rutted lane which led to the field wherein his sheep were penned. He was a tall, bluff, burly old man, carrying himself erect in spite of his seventy years, and capable still of performing a hard day’s work with the best of his juniors.