viii PREFACE 



The country labourer in England is accustomed to 

 light his own kitchen fire and take a cup of tea to 

 his wife before he goes off to work, for she considers 

 it unnecessary to be up so early. 



We cannot refrain from asking ourselves whether 

 he will not be more critical of these small things 

 when he returns to his village home after the war. 



Many ladies, brought up to think that their in- 

 comes would suffice for all their wants, will find 

 that heavy taxation and high prices necessitate 

 their having a profession. Consequently, many 

 will have to go through serious training in the 

 same way that a man makes a study of his work, 

 because he knows that without this he cannot 

 contend with other competitors. Parents will 

 have to consider this in educating their daughters, 

 for until recently money was put by for a 

 son's education, but daughters were inadequately 

 equipped to do full justice to their talents and 

 capabilities. Their training was but slight and 

 insufficiently paid for, which has made it difficult 

 to gauge to the full whether women are competent 

 in their work to the extent that men are. 



But perhaps the greatest responsibilities that 

 have come to women will be borne by those to 

 whom the war has brought most sorrow, for those 

 young widows who are left to undertake alone the 

 education of boys and girls must feel that the 

 future of this country depends largely upon how 

 they acquit themselves in it. 



It has been in the hope of bringing the vast 

 possibilities that lie hidden in country life to the 

 mind of some of these workers, to those who have 



