CLEMATIS LANE. 83 



not so easy to make. The crook he held in his hand 

 opened with an elongated curve. It appeared very 

 small beside the ordinary crooks ; this, he said, was 

 an advantage, as it would hold a lamb. Another he 

 showed me had the ordinary hook ; this was bought 

 at Brighton. The curve was too big, and a sheep 

 could get its leg out ; besides which, the iron was soft, 

 and when a sheep was caught the iron bent and 

 enlarged, and so let the sheep go. The handles were 

 of hazel : one handle was straight, smooth, and the best 

 in appearance — but he said it was weak ; the other 

 handle, which was crooked and rough -looking, was 

 twice as strong. They used hazel rods for handles — 

 ash rods were apt to " fly," i.e. break. 



Wages were now fifteen shillings a week. The "farm 

 hands" — elsewhere labourers — had fifteen shillings a 

 week, and paid one shilling and sixpence a week for 

 their cottages. The new cottages that had been built 

 were two shillings and sixpence a week. They liked 

 the old cottages best, not only because they were 

 cheaper, but because they had larger gardens attached. 

 It seemed that the men were fairly satisfied with their 

 earnings; just then, of course, they were receiving 

 much more for harvest work, such as tying up after 

 the reaping machine at seven shillings and sixpence 

 per acre. Clothes were the heaviest item of expendi- 

 ture, especially where there was a family and the 

 children were not old enough to earn anything. Except 

 that he said " wid " for with — " wid " this, instead of 

 with this — he scarcely mispronounced a word, speaking 

 as distinctly and expressing himself as clearly as any 

 one could possibly do. The briskness of manner, quick 



