186 Bankruptcy in Arcadia. 



The change which has so much aiFectecl the lower order 

 of rustics has grown out of the change which has been 

 going on in those above them. Anyone who reads the late 

 Miss Mitford's " Tales of our Village," will see how a 

 village used to be self-supporting for its interests and 

 amusements, and how the humbler classes who followed 

 sport, or every-day duties, were distinct characters who 

 stood out individually. 



We read in her charming book of the rat-catcher, the 

 bird-catcher, the mole-catcher, records of the country fair, 

 haymaking, harvest homes, and the many minor incidents 

 and events which made up the little history of a country 

 village. And above all, don't let us forget her account of 

 the "village cricket match." I verily believe that had 

 Miss Mitford lived for ever, and had been ubiquitous, and 

 had reported cricket, that *' Bell's Life " would have put 

 up his shutters during the summer, and the " Sportsman " 

 would have been going about trying to borrow half a-crown 

 of the " Sporting Life." 



Cricketers of England ! I beseech you, take down Miss 

 Mitford's tales and read the account of the Sunday evening's 

 practice before the match. Mark you the Sunday evening's 

 practice, when villagers all went to church like '' Christian 

 men," also played cricket in the evening under the same 

 name. And I will back Miss Mitford's evidence as regards 

 real Christianity against the field. 



But it is no good crying over spilt milk, and our losses 

 are much counterbalanced by our gains. It is twenty times 

 better to have Mr. Arch stirring up strife, and Tityrus in 

 the beer-shop, and Melibceus " picketing," than to have the 

 ricks all ablaze — as I well remember — threshing-machine 

 riots, and the military firing into the mob, hang-fair after 

 the assizes, putrid fever from overcrowded cottages, and 

 many other evils which were things of course forty or fifty 



