But his worst fault after all has been, that young or old, he has copied his landlord too closely, and acted on his maxims and example.

And now that his landlord is growing wiser, he is growing wiser too.

Experience of the new Poor Law, and experience of Free-trade, are helping him to show himself what he always was at heart, an honest Englishman.

All his brave persistence and industry, his sturdy independence and self-help, and last, but not least, his strong sense of justice, and his vast good- nature, are coming out more and more, and working better and better upon the land and the labourer; while among his sons I see many growing up brave, manly, prudent young men, with a steadily increasing knowledge of what is required of them, both as manufacturers of food, and employers of human labour.
The country clergy, again, are steadily improving.

I do not mean merely in morality--for public opinion now demands that as a sine qua non--but in actual efficiency.