‘The fear of hell’s a hangman’s whip, To haud the wretch in order,’ but I prefer his other sentiment, ‘Just where ye feel your honor grip, Let that aye be your border. Its slightest touches instant pause, Debar a’ side pretenses, And resolutely keep its laws, Uncaring consequences.’” Said he, as he arose to go, “I hope I have not tired you. I have talked enough, so I will practice a little by seeing my poor families, for wishing the poor to be fed without giving them bread, would not be satisfactory to them now, nor to me hereafter.” Such was Mr. Jasper. I liked him for his honesty and sincerity. I doubt if he ever uttered a word but what he believed, and what he said he felt, as if it was a part of himself. CHAPTER XVI. My home was lonely. The light that once shone so brightly in it had gone out, as I might say, in darkness. I took to my books, but I had no purpose or pleasure in reading. I improved my own grounds, and my property in the station. I often went to my villages and spent weeks among them, having good wells dug, a large tank, covering an acre of ground constructed to contain water for irrigation, built roads, made drains, planted good fruit and timber trees. I took much pleasure in all this, and had great satisfaction in doing my duty to the poor people. I was not satisfied to squeeze every pice of my rent out of them and give them nothing in return. The results were better than I anticipated. There was scarcely any sickness or disease among the people, owing to the good water and drainage. They became healthy and more able to labor, and, having abundant water in the tank for irrigation, they raised extra and improved crops. The people had plenty to eat, and the cattle were well fed. They had gardens, for which I supplied imported seeds, so they had vegetables the year round, of which formerly there was a scarcity except during the rains. In a few years there was plenty of fruit, and the branches of the trees supplied the villagers with fuel, so they could save the refuse, that was formerly burned, for their land. I considered all the expenditure I had made, enhanced the worth of my property. The ryots did not fail to realize the value of the improvements to them, and gave me not only my legal rents most willingly, but in their generosity gave me something of their products and would have provided for me as their guest while I was with them.