MY father left me the best inheritance；to wit——good humour．And who was my father？Why，that has nothing to do with the humour．He was lively and stout¹，round and fat；and his outer and inner man were in direct contradiction to his calling．And pray what was he by profession and calling in civil society？Ah，if this were to be written down and printed in the very beginning of a book，it is probablethat many when they read it would lay the book aside，and say，“It looks so uncomfortable；I don't like anything of that sort．”And yet my father was neither a horse－slaughterer nor an executioner；on the contrary，his office placed him at the head of the most respectable gentry² of the town；and he held his place by right，for it was his right place．He had to go first，before the bishop³ even，and before the Princes of the Blood．He always went first——for he was the driver of the hearse！

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There，now it's out！And I will confess that when people saw my father sitting perched up on the omnibus of death，dressed in his long，wide，black clock，with his black－bordered three-cornered hat on his head——and then his face，exactly as the sun is drawn，round and jocund——it was difficult for them to think of the grave and of sorrow．The face said，“It doesn't matter；it will be much better than one thinks．”

You see，I have inherited my good humour from him，and also the habit of going often to the churchyard，and that is an agreeable thing to do if it be done with good humour；and then I take in the Intelligencer，just as he used to do．

I am not quite young．I have neither wife，nor children，nor a library；but，as aforesaid，I take in the Intelligencer，and that's my favourite newspaper，as it was al-so my father's．It is very useful，and contains everything that a man needs to know——such as who preaches in the church and in the new books；where one can get houses，servants，clothes，and food；who is selling off，and who is going off himself．And then what a lot of charity，and what a number of innocent，harmless verses are found in it！Advertisements for husbands and wives，and arrangements for meeting——all quite simple and natural．Certainly，one may live merrily and be contentedly⁴

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2 gentry
n.绅士阶级，上层阶级
参考例句：
Landed income was the true measure of the gentry.来自土地的收入是衡量是否士绅阶层的真正标准。 Better be the head of the yeomanry than the tail of the gentry.宁做自由民之首，不居贵族之末。

3 bishop
n.主教，（国际象棋）象
参考例句：
He was a bishop who was held in reverence by all.他是一位被大家都尊敬的主教。 Two years after his death the bishop was canonised.主教逝世两年后被正式封为圣者。

4 contentedly
adv.心满意足地
参考例句：
My father sat puffing contentedly on his pipe.父亲坐着心满意足地抽着烟斗。 "This is brother John's writing,"said Sally,contentedly,as she opened the letter.

5 evergreen
n.常青树；adj.四季常青的
参考例句：
Some trees are evergreen;they are called evergreen.有的树是常青的，被叫做常青树。 There is a small evergreen shrub on the hillside.山腰上有一小块常绿灌木丛。

6 artistic
adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的
参考例句：
The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。 These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。

7 cactus
n.仙人掌
参考例句：
It was the first year that the cactus had produced flowers.这是这棵仙人掌第一年开花。 The giant cactus is the vegetable skycraper.高大的仙人掌是植物界巨人。

8 beech
n.山毛榉；adj.山毛榉的
参考例句：
Autumn is the time to see the beech woods in all their glory.秋天是观赏山毛榉林的最佳时期。 Exasperated,he leaped the stream,and strode towards beech clump.他满腔恼怒，跳过小河，大踏步向毛榉林子走去。

9 kindle
v.点燃，着火
参考例句：
This wood is too wet to kindle.这木柴太湿点不着。 A small spark was enough to kindle Lily's imagination.一星光花足以点燃莉丽的全部想象力。

10 vexed
adj.争论不休的；（指问题等）棘手的；争论不休的问题；烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论
参考例句：
The conference spent days discussing the vexed question of border controls. 会议花了几天的时间讨论边境关卡这个难题。 He was vexed at his failure. 他因失败而懊恼。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

11 embroidered
adj．绣花的
参考例句：
She embroidered flowers on the cushion covers. 她在这些靠垫套上绣了花。 She embroidered flowers on the front of the dress. 她在连衣裙的正面绣花。

12 derived
vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取
参考例句：
Many English words are derived from Latin and Greek. 英语很多词源出于拉丁文和希腊文。 来自《简明英汉词典》 He derived his enthusiasm for literature from his father. 他对文学的爱好是受他父亲的影响。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 melancholy
n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的
参考例句：
All at once he fell into a state of profound melancholy.他立即陷入无尽的忧思之中。 He felt melancholy after he failed the exam.这次考试没通过，他感到很郁闷。

14 remarkably
ad.不同寻常地，相当地
参考例句：
I thought she was remarkably restrained in the circumstances. 我认为她在那种情况下非常克制。 He made a remarkably swift recovery. 他康复得相当快。

15 maiden
n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的
参考例句：
The prince fell in love with a fair young maiden.王子爱上了一位年轻美丽的少女。 The aircraft makes its maiden flight tomorrow.这架飞机明天首航。

16 gall
v.使烦恼，使焦躁，难堪；n.磨难
参考例句：
It galled him to have to ask for a loan.必须向人借钱使他感到难堪。 No gall,no glory.没有磨难，何来荣耀。

17 prey
n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨
参考例句：
Stronger animals prey on weaker ones.弱肉强食。 The lion was hunting for its prey.狮子在寻找猎物。

18 indefatigable
adj.不知疲倦的，不屈不挠的
参考例句：
His indefatigable spirit helped him to cope with his illness.他不屈不挠的精神帮助他对抗病魔。 He was indefatigable in his lectures on the aesthetics of love.在讲授关于爱情的美学时，他是不知疲倦的。

19 inscribe
v.刻；雕；题写；牢记
参考例句：
Will you inscribe your name in the book?能否请你在这本书上签名？ I told the jeweler to inscribe the ring with my name.我叫珠宝商把我的名字刻在那只戒指上。