JANUAR V 67 



place these narrow pipes — then, I believe, a new-fangled agricultural 

 luxury — in little heaps ready to the hand of the man who laid the 

 drains. He also told me, by the way, that in those days the field in 

 question was common land, which someone enclosed and drained. 



It is the fashion, especially in the comic papers, to talk of the agri- 

 cultural labourer as Hodge — a term of contempt — and to speak of 

 him as though he had about as much intelligence as a turnip. As 

 a matter of fact, after a somewhat prolonged experience of his class, 

 I say deliberately that, take it all in all, there are few sections of 

 society for which I have so great an admiration. Of course, I am 

 excepting black sheep, brutes, drunkards, and mean fellows, of 

 whom there is an ample supply in every walk of life. But, on the 

 other hand, I am excepting also any specimens palpably above the 

 general level, and talking of the man as one meets him everywhere 

 upon whatever farm one likes to visit. 



Let us take the problem of life as it presents itself to that 

 rara avis, the stay-at-home agricultural labourer of to-day. He has 

 received some education— for, supposing him to be a man on the 

 right side of forty, the Board schools had begun in his time — but 

 he does not trouble himself much about learning. As soon as he 

 was out of school he began work on a farm in his parish, and at 

 nineteen or twenty, following a natural and proper impulse, he 

 took to himself a wife. From 'cliat day, earlier than is the case with 

 any other class of society, his responsibilities began. Being still so 

 young he would not be trusted in any of the higher positions on a 

 farm, such as that of horseman, but his work would be that of a 

 general labourer earning, let us say, an average wage of about 

 thirteen shillings a week, including his harvest. Within five years 

 he would have at least three children, perhaps more, and within 

 twelve years seven or eight living, all of whom must be supported 

 by the daily labour of his hands, and who, in nine cases out of ten 

 are so supported. Besides providing for these children, he pays the 

 rent of his cottage, 3/. or 4/. a year, and, if he is a prudent man, a 

 subscription towards an Oddfellows or other benefit society, which 

 makes him an allowance on the rare occasions when he falls sick 



