308 AWAKENING OF ENGLAND. 



has taken the longest time to die, is still, 

 more or less, that of the mediaeval villains. 

 During the recent attempts of the suffragette 

 party to obtain signatures in favour of woman's 

 suffrage, I found that the poorer a man was, 

 the more anxious he was that only ladies of 

 property should be allowed to vote. 



During hay -making, when I was working 

 on my rick, taking the hay from the unloader 

 and tossing it to the rick-builder, the follow- 

 ing conversation took place. 



George (the pitcher, who had been a 

 Cockney carman). " I don't 'old with this 

 yer suffragit business — leastways not for the 

 domesticated woman." 



I. '* Who do you mean, George ? " 



George. " I mean the wives of working 

 chaps like myself, though no one can say I 

 don't love my wife. I give 'er a kiss every 

 mornin' afore I starts for work." 



Then Tom, the rick -builder, with the 

 reticence of the real country labourer, and 

 speaking with a touch of scorn at the glib- 

 tongued Cockney, said, '* What I does to my 

 missus is nobody's bisiness but my own — 

 kissing 'is missus I — ugh ! " 



The rustic is burdened with one foolish 



