When I was young we wouldn't have thought so much of two thousand, but every dalesman then knew what good shearing was.

_Now_," and the old man shook his head slowly, "good shearers are few and far between.

Why, there's some here from beyond Kirkstone Pass and Nab Scar!" It was customary for young people of all conditions to give men as aged as Barf Latrigg the honorable name of "grandfather;" and Charlotte said, as she sat down in the breezy shadow beside him, "Who is first, grandfather ?" "Why, our Stephen, to be sure! They'll have to be up before day-dawn to keep sidey with our Steve .-- Steve, how many is thou ahead now ?" The voice that asked the question, though full of triumph, was thin and weak; but the answer came back in full, mellow tones,-- "Fifteen ahead, grandfather." "Oh, I'm so glad!" "Charlotte Sandal says 'she's so glad.' Now then, if thou loses ground, I wouldn't give a ha'penny for thee." Then the women who were folding the fleeces on tables under the other two sycamores lifted their eyes, and glanced at Steve; and some of the elder ones sent him a merry jibe, and some of the younger ones, smiles, that made his brown handsome face deepen in color; but he was far too earnest in his work to spare a moment for a reply.

By and by, the squire put down his pipe, and sat watching with his hands upon his knees.

And a stray child crept up to Charlotte, and climbed upon her lap, and went to sleep there, and the wind flecked these four representatives of four generations all over with wavering shadows; and Ducie came backwards and forwards, and finally carried the sleeping child into the house; and Stephen, busy as he was, saw every thing that went on in the group under the top sycamore.
Even before sundown, the last batch of sheep were fleeced and _smitten_,[Smitten.