170 THE NEW COTTAGE 



crowded together ; probably, too, the children will 

 not be so healthy and doctors' fees will mount 

 up. These considerations are, however, only felt 

 after the family move has taken place, when it is 

 too late to draw back. 



Certain it is that until we awake from lethargy 

 and give full and careful consideration to the 

 better housing and more comfortable living of 

 village working men, the Rural Exodus will con- 

 tinue. All such improvements, including a reason- 

 able living wage, the possibility of eventual owner- 

 ship of a plot of ground, or its tenure upon some 

 secure basis, the advantages of a practical rural 

 education arranged upon a country system, not a 

 town one, have been a crying need for centuries. 

 When will they be undertaken ? 



When our men return, many of them crippled 

 for life from wounds received in the war, will they 

 wish to go back to their village homes ? Most 

 certainly they will, if all these facilities are offered ; 

 but where it depends upon the good offices of but 

 a few energetic and far-seeing landlords, many of 

 them impoverished themselves and unable to carry 

 out those things that they know to be of individual 

 as well as national importance, no far-reaching 

 results will accrue. A stronger leadership than 

 this is wanted and again we may turn with con- 

 fidence to the women of England, who, when they 

 see that a thing is of paramount value to other 

 mothers, those upon whom we are relying to bring 

 up future soldiers and sailors, the bulwark of our 

 Empire, will most assuredly give heed and leave 

 no stone unturned to bring about improvement. 



