166 THE NEW COTTAGE 



from which water is drawn by means of a wheel 

 and bucket. Here, too, was work to be planned 

 for the future and a level space was pegged out 

 to form a circle, where, on paving-stones, the 

 owners of all three cottages could meet and draw 

 water. Some day that garden too will be trans- 

 formed and rows of tall blue delphiniums will 

 lead the way to a circular rose arbour round the 

 well, where children can play " Kiss in the Ring " 

 whilst their mother busily plies her needle. 



When many hours of trenching and planting 

 were accomplished, a welcome relief came in the 

 shape of tea and cakes laid on the old oak table 

 in the parlour. Our gardeners never enter a 

 house without washing their hands and removing 

 their heavy boys' boots and leather gaiters and 

 this ceremony, which recalls Eastern custom, when 

 stockingless or slippered feet alone are allowed to 

 tread upon good carpets, takes place in the white- 

 washed scullery. The latter gives access from the 

 back of the house to the one spacious living-room, 

 which had evidently been made large for the 

 accommodation of all the members of a workman's 

 family. 



On cold winter nights we can picture them 

 resting after a hard day's work, grouped together 

 within the warm recess formed by the chimney. 

 Probably no light was needed other than that 

 given out by the huge, unwieldy logs that the 

 workman had managed to collect each day during 

 his dinner hour or if his wife could not see well 

 enough to do her cooking by the firelight, then an 

 old Sussex rush-holder was used. So twilight 



