138 CONCLUSION 



not only for the " etceteras " of life, but even 

 for their food, on large industrial towns possibly 

 many miles away. The central interest of the 

 community was thus eradicated, and with it 

 the entire social fabric of village life broke 

 down. " The peasant, under the old system, 

 " had a definite independent place in the com- 

 " munity. He commanded respect for his skill, 

 "judgment, and experience in his own indus- 

 " tries. He was not cut off by any distinctions in 

 " ideas, tastes, or habits from the classes above. 

 " On the contrary, each grade shaded almost 

 "imperceptibly into the next. To-day, the 

 "intermediate classes have disappeared. In- 

 " stead of the ascending scale of peasant- 

 " labourer, the blacksmith, carpenter, wheel- 

 " wright, and carrier, the small-holder, the 

 " village shopkeeper, the small farmer, the 

 "larger farmer, the yeoman occupying his 

 " own land, and the squire, there are in many 

 " villages only two categories — employers and 

 "employed."* 



It is not suggested that rural villages can 

 ever return to the self-contained state of 



* Rowland E. Prothero, " English Farming Past and 

 Present," p. 412 



