Delighted to meet hedgehog on the lawn: Country diary 100 years ago

Originally published in the Manchester Guardian on 5 August 1915

Oxfordshire
Hearing a sound half-way between a snuffle, a choke, and a grunt last night in the garden, I took a candle and made investigations. For some time I had noticed on the grass traces of what I believed to be hedgehogs, and the light of the candle soon confirmed my suspicions. The little beast continued gently grunting or choking, probably too much surprised by the light to runaway from it, and I could examine his bright eye and tapering muzzle at my leisure. Hedgehogs are assiduous devourers of the larger insect vermin, so I was delighted to see my guest, and hope soon to make the acquaintance of his wife and family. The candle-light revealed other curiosities besides himself. Heavy mist seemed to press in upon the flame from every side, and on the sopping grass huge worms were lying stretched full length - more than a foot-long some of them. I tapped the ground with my shoe, and those near by, at once feeling the vibration, leapt back, like released springs, into their burrows. Later in the night the heavily laden air was caught by a chill breeze from the north-west, and we had a deluge of rain.