ijj KXCL1S1I AGRICULTURAL LABOURER. 



threatening total collapse. The ground-floor room had been 

 partitioned into two, \vitli the result that both halves were in a 

 state of semi-darkness, even \vlien the him was shining brightly 

 aiul the cottage 1 dour wide open. The front room was a stilling 

 box in which yon might touch both walls with extended arms. 

 At the time of his visit the occupier (a woman) and 'a neighbour 

 wire themselves whitewashing the place. The bedrooms were 

 miniature lofts, unpapered, in a crumbling condition, separated 

 by a warped and cracked door, which for years had ceased to 

 answer its original purpose. One window had lost all its panes 

 and was boarded up. The ground-floor window was a curiosity. 

 As the i aius had fallen out the occupier had put in glass from 

 one or two picture frames, but the last collapse having exhausted 

 the available glass, a family Bible had been pushed against the 

 sa>h to keip tlu 1 wind out. The woman who lives in this hovel 

 with her boy of nine years (who helps to support the ' home ') 

 gave me a heartrending account of her miseries during her first 

 confinement in one of these, wretched bedrooms. It was in the 

 depth of winter and ladies of Kngland, in your sheltered homes, 

 think of it ! the snow lay upon the quilt on her bed, under 

 \\hich shivered mother and new-born babe. The melted snow 

 produo d a Hood upon the floor, and found its way through the 

 rotten lloor and ceiling. Scarcely a ray of light came into the 

 room, and at right the place was in utter darkness, for the wind 

 blew through great holes in the roof in such a way that a candle 

 or lamp was out of the question. On a rough night the cottage 

 shakes so much that the occupant is obliged sometimes to leave 

 the house for fear of its falling. Is it surprising that the woman 

 since the 1 experience's of that awful lying-in, has spent much of 

 her time in the hospital, and is now quite unable to do any but 

 very light work ? She receives 2S. 6d. from the parish and her 

 son earns ^s. a week, and out of this the owner of the hovel takes 

 is. a week for rent. '1 he cottage of a small holder is nearly as 

 bad. '1 he whole of tin- top windows have be-en blown out, and 

 their place is tal;< n by sacks. 



'The owin r of all these cottages is Simmi Watson-Taylor, 

 JCsquire, D.L., J.K, lord of the manor, lay impropriator, and 

 principal landowner of this and neighbouring villages. At 

 Karlsioke he has a noble mansion, commanding from its elevated 

 ] option, beautiful views, surrounded by a well-timbered park in 

 which d' i r roam bv lake and cascade." 



" Warwick (RatL-y). In several instanas it is impossible, on 

 a v,vt nhjit. to sleep in some of the bidrooms, and in the case of 

 one cottage, bv standing on a mound close to the house, you may 

 look through the roof into the bedrooms. The landlord of some 



