26 ENGLISH AGRICULTURAL LABOURER. 



would be up feeding the horses from 3.30 or 4 o'clock a.m., 

 and working in the fields until six o'clock or dusk. The only 

 holidays known were the hiring fairs, or the horse and cattle 

 fairs; the only recreations were the club, or the chapel 

 and church festivals. The very devout thought nothing 

 of walking miles to a prayer meeting, even over the hills in 

 bad weather. 



" My father," a friend tells me, " once walked thirty 

 miles fifteen miles each way to a praver meeting. My 

 mother would hide his boots in the attempt to prevent him 

 from going. lie read nothing but his IJiHe, and could 

 recite long passages from memory. Newspapers he never 

 read ; not even for the prices beasts and wool were fet< hing. 

 He got his knowledge from the ordinary market-day 

 gossip." 



Education, when obtainable, consisted of reading, writing, 

 the catechism and elementary arithmetic. 



It was usual for one man on each large farm to a< t as 

 barber, cutting the hair of all the men, and even that of the 

 farmer's family. New clothes were an event, and laMed 

 many years. The tailor would come to a farm and May 

 several days. The parlour fire would be In by the ho;:-e\\ife 

 and he would sit there all day by him-elf perched cro^s 

 legged on the table making clothes. 



In the thrifty farmer's hou-e the stoekin: 

 would be knitted at home from the w 

 his own ^hecp. Very little coal was burmd. 

 obtained from the hedges and wood-, 

 possessed brick ovens for baking bn a< 

 hills. 



Courting, in Herefordshire and 

 strenuous day-, my friend tells me, 

 during the night. The ]o\vr won!, 

 home of his sweetheart about nine 

 unexpected, he would inform la r of hi- 

 of gravel thrown again-t her bedroom window. 

 d r e--, and come down, replni-li the kit* hen fir 

 him a UK al. Th' y would r-pend the i.i;'h 

 returning home in the early hour.-, of tin 



