After steering for some time, we came down to a very fine farmhouse, which we stopped a little to admire; and I asked Richard whether _that_ was not a place to be happy in. The village, which we found to be Stoke-Charity, was about a mile lower down this little vale. Before we got to it, we overtook the owner of the farm, who knew me, though I did not know him; but when I found it was Mr. Hinton Bailey, of whom and whose farm I had heard so much, I was not at all surprised at the fineness of what I had just seen. I told him that the word _charity_, making, as it did, part of the name of this place, had nearly inspired me with boldness enough to go to the farmhouse, in the ancient style, and ask for something to eat, for that we had not yet breakfasted. He asked us to go back; but at Burghclere we were _resolved to dine_. After, however, crossing the village, and beginning again to ascend the downs, we came to a labourer's (_once a farmhouse_), where I asked the man whether he had any _bread and cheese_, and was not a little pleased to hear him say "_Yes_." Then I asked him to give us a bit, protesting that we had not yet broken our fast. He answered in the affirmative at once, though I did not talk of payment. His wife brought out the cut loaf, and a piece of Wiltshire cheese, and I took them in hand, gave Richard a good hunch, and took another for myself. I verily believe that all the pleasure of eating enjoyed by all the feeders in London in a whole year does not equal that which we enjoyed in gnawing this bread and cheese as we rode over this cold down, whip and bridle-reins in one hand, and the hunch in the other. Richard, who was purse bearer, gave the woman, by my direction, about enough to buy two quartern loaves: for she told me that they had to buy their bread _at the mill_, not being able to bake themselves for _want of fuel_; and this, as I said before, is one of the draw-backs in this sort of country. I wish every one of these people had an _American fire-place_. Here they might, then, even in these bare countries, have comfortable warmth. Rubbish of any sort would, by this means, give them warmth. I am now, at six o'clock in the morning, sitting in a room, where one of these fire-places, with very light _turf_ in it, gives as good and steady a warmth as it is possible to feel, and which room has, too, been _cured of smoking_ by this fire-place.