fornobodynowdrivesupanddownthegreatwesternhighwaydally。
ThemostfamiliarobjectinStoke-Barehillsnowadaysisitscemetery，standingamongsomepicturesquemediaevalruinsbesidetherailway；themodernchapels，moderntombs，andmodernshrubshavingalookofintrusivenessamidthecrumblingandivy-covereddecayoftheancientwalls。
Onacertainday，however，intheparticularyearwhichhasnowbeenreachedbythisnarrative-themonthbeingearlyJune-thefeaturesofthetownexcitelittleinterest，thoughmanyvisitorsarrivebythetrains；somedown-trains，inespecial，nearlyemptyingthemselveshere。
ItistheweekoftheGreatWessexAgriculturalShow，whosevastencampmentspreadsovertheopenoutskirtsofthetownlikethetentsofaninvestingarmy。Rowsofmarquees，huts，booths，pavilions，arcades，porticoes-everykindofstructureshortofapermanentone-coverthegreenfieldforthespaceofasquarehalf-mile，andthecrowdsofarrivalswalkthroughthetowninamass，andmakestraightfortheexhibitionground。Thewaytheretoislinedwithshows，stalls，andhawkersonfoot，whomakeamarket-placeofthewholeroadwaytotheshowproper，andleadsomeoftheimprovidenttolightentheirpocketsappreciablybeforetheyreachthegatesoftheexhibitiontheycameexpresslytosee。
Itisthepopularday，theshillingday，andofthefastarrivingexcursiontrainstwofromdifferentdirectionsenterthetwocontiguousrailwaystationsatalmostthesameminute。One，likeseveralwhichhaveprecededit，comesfromLondon：theotherbyacross-linefromAldbrickham；