CUMMANSHEMENSLAIGE 97 



the ploughman to pause before he gives up a house 

 rent free, which is kept up for him, his cow, his 

 pig, his hens, and his money wage, paid regularly 

 rain or shine, and moves into the town, where, 

 though wages for himself and his family may be 

 better, the expense of living is out of all proportion 

 higher. 



'*A new feature of rural life is the invasion of 

 even the remotest districts by so-called grocers' vans. 

 These are very detrimental to farming life, bringing as 

 they do tinned meats, patent medicines, and cheap 

 literature ; none of which are so wholesome as the 

 oatmeal and milk or the old books and papers. One 

 class does not change a great deal, and that is the 

 shepherds, more notably the hill shepherds. A good 

 man who can mow, cast peats, and cut sheep drains is 

 always sought for. 



'* If, then, we breed good stock we shall yet for 

 a while hold our own ; and if we are left freedom 

 of contract, and if the transfer of land is made easy 

 and cheap, even under the many adverse conditions 

 we suffer from, we shall be able to keep up the 

 good repute of Border farming, and maintain the high 

 standard of Border live stock." 



He gave some most interesting reminiscences of his 

 youth, and of the habits and customs of the hill far- 

 mers, and told some very droll stories of sayings and 

 doings at the annual kirns, and wound up by again 

 charging us to be pointed in stock-breeding, and 

 punctual in payment of rent. 



Toast and song followed in quick succession. Pat 



Murray, a jovial-looking young fellow, sang a pathetic 



song in a way that nearly made us all weep ; and his 



G 



