By And By We Went
On Ahead Of The Cows, Then, If One Stayed Too Long Or Strayed
Into Some Inviting Side-Lane, He Would Turn And Utter A Long,
Soft Call, Whereupon The Straggler Would Leave Her Browsing
And Hasten After The Others.
He was a big, strongly built man, a little past middle life
and grey-haired, with rough-hewn face - unprepossessing one
would have pronounced him until the intelligent, kindly
expression of the eyes was seen and the agreeable voice was
heard.
As our talk progressed and we found how much in
sympathy we were on the subject, I was reminded of that
Biblical expression about the shining of a man's face: "Wine
that maketh glad the heart of man" - I hope the total
abstainers will pardon me - "and oil that maketh his face to
shine," we have in one passage. This rather goes against our
British ideas, since we rub no oil or unguents on our skin,
but only soap which deprives it of its natural oil and too
often imparts a dry and hard texture. Yet in that, to us,
disagreeable aspect of the skin caused by foreign fats, there
is a resemblance to the sudden brightening and glory of the
countenance in moments of blissful emotion or exaltation. No
doubt the effect is produced by the eyes, which are the
mirrors of the mind, and as they are turned full upon us they
produce an illusion, seeming to make the whole face shine.
In our talk I told him of long rambles on the Mendips, along
the valley of the Somerset Axe, where I had lately been, and
where of all places, in this island, the cow should be most
esteemed and loved by man.
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