290 BRITISH RURAL LIFE AND LABOUR. 



qualities doubtless being determined by their cheapness. 

 Now and then, of course, both men and women would 

 manage somehow to obtain new clothes of the " Sunday 

 best " style, in order to appear decently clothed at the 

 places of worship. Such clothes are ordinarily taken 

 great care of, and never used during work of any kind, 

 and naturally they would last a long while sometimes, 

 it has been averred, almost for his lifetime. Women, too, 

 of carefulness and neatness, and having the sense and the 

 skill to select good things, would make their clothes last 

 for many years. It has often been obvious to those 

 who have been observant of such things, what evident 

 pride a farm labourer takes of his carefully brushed 

 coat, waistcoat, trousers, and hat a pride extended 

 to the endeavour to show spotless white linen and 

 brightly polished boots. And we must not forget the 

 often " showy " tie, the clean, well-starched collar, and 

 the white, blue, red, or checkered pocket-handkerchief ; 

 and it was noticeable that the older generation wore 

 the more sober colours, whilst the younger generation 

 " affected " more smartness. Some most interesting 

 correspondence on this subject reached us from various 

 persons. Writing from Wiltshire, one said 



- The dress of the farm labourers has undergone a great 

 change of late years. You will seldom, or never, except in 

 the case of very old men, see the smock frock. That has been 

 discarded in these days of cheap fustian ' for a corduroy 

 jacket in the winter, and a short cotton slop in the 

 summer. Our peasantry are pretty well clad on weekdays, 

 and if you were to visit our neighbourhood on Sunday, you 

 would be greatly surprised at the very respectable appear- 

 ance, with regard to dress, which the men and their wives 

 and children present the men in suits of cloth neither 

 threadbare nor patched, and the women and children the 

 very pink of neatness and cleanliness. The Sunday 

 clothing is taken great care of, and is very rarely worn 

 on weekdays. There is nothing in the work of a peasant 

 to cause him to doff his working habiliments after his 

 day's toil. Breathing pure air all the day, and browned by 

 exposure to the sun, he always has a cheery, healthy, and 

 clean look, which is quite independent of the tailor." 



