Page 1179 - ULYSSES
P. 1179

Ulysses


                                     Outdoor: garden and fieldwork, cycling on level
                                  macadamised causeways ascents of moderately high hills,
                                  natation in secluded fresh water and unmolested river
                                  boating in secure wherry or light curricle with kedge

                                  anchor on reaches free from weirs and rapids (period of
                                  estivation), vespertinal perambulation or equestrian
                                  circumprocession with inspection of sterile landscape and
                                  contrastingly agreeable cottagers’ fires of smoking peat
                                  turves (period of hibernation). Indoor: discussion in tepid
                                  security of unsolved historical and criminal problems:
                                  lecture of unexpurgated exotic erotic masterpieces: house
                                  carpentry with toolbox containing hammer, awl nails,
                                  screws, tintacks, gimlet, tweezers, bullnose plane and
                                  turnscrew. Might he become a gentleman farmer of field
                                  produce and live stock?
                                     Not impossibly, with 1 or 2 stripper cows, 1 pike of
                                  upland hay and requisite farming implements, e.g., an end-
                                  to-end churn, a turnip pulper etc.
                                     What would be his civic  functions and social status
                                  among the county families and landed gentry?
                                     Arranged successively in ascending powers of
                                  hierarchical order, that of gardener, groundsman,
                                  cultivator, breeder, and at the zenith of his career, resident
                                  magistrate or justice of the peace with a family crest and



                                                        1178 of 1305
   1174   1175   1176   1177   1178   1179   1180   1181   1182   1183   1184