98 A KENTISH PARISH 



are lightened with the rosy reflection from the adorn- 

 ment of the fresher graves. 



From the church to the public-houses, to the inns, 

 and to " the hotel," is a not unnatural transition, seeing 

 that the most frequented of these look out on the 

 triangular green whose base is bounded by church and 

 churchyard ; and notwithstanding the well-deserved 

 popularity of the vicar, we must add in conscience 

 that these hostelries are the most in favour. The 

 Oakenhurst tradespeople complain of the hardness of 

 the times of keen competition with shopkeepers in 

 London and they grumble over the blight of the 

 co-operative societies, which is preying like a canker- 

 worm on their modest profits. But in spite of a 

 general mutual indebtedness and rumours of bills of 

 sale over goods that are bought on credit, they continue 

 to keep a fair amount of conviviality going. There is 

 a little informal club of cronies which meets almost 

 nightly in the " Godwin Arms." The parlour set apart 

 for the use of the members looks out on the stable 

 yard behind, and summer and winter the shutters are 

 scrupulously put up at a certain hour, to screen the 

 interior from the eyes of the curious. The good ladies 

 of the members may regard the gathering with dislike, 

 but they are aware that it is distinctly de rlgueur to 

 belong to it ; and if husbands keep unholy hours, and 

 sometimes make unnecessary noise in mounting the stair- 

 case to the nuptial chamber, the wives are " squared " 

 and soothed with the finery they are fond of flaunting 

 in. The uninitiated know nothing authoritatively of 



