WINTERING IN WEST CORNWALL 7 



noted in recent years. Nevertheless they are a good 

 people still, righteous in their own peculiar way, and 

 so independent that in bad times, as when the fishing 

 fails, hunger and cold are more endurable to them than 

 charity. They are a clannish people, and it is conse- 

 quently not to be wondered at that they have no sub- 

 scription clubs or friendly societies of any kind to aid 

 them in times of want and sickness such as are now 

 almost universal among the working classes. These 

 benefits of our civilisation will doubtless come to 

 them in time : then their clannishness the old " One 

 and All " spirit of Cornishmen generally being no 

 longer needed, will decay. It is after all but another 

 word for solidarity, the strong, natural, or family 

 bond which unites the members of a community 

 which was once, in ruder ages, everywhere, to make 

 social life possible, and has survived here solely 

 because of Cornwall's isolated position. Unfortu- 

 nately we cannot make any advance cannot gain 

 anything anywhere without a corresponding loss 

 somewhere. Will it be better for this people when 

 the change comes when the machine we call " civili- 

 sation " has taken the place of the spirit of mutual 

 help in the members of the community ? 'Tis an 

 idle question, since we cannot have two systems of 

 life. At present, in our " backward " districts, we 

 have two, but they are in perpetual conflict, and one 

 must overcome the other ; and if there be any beauti- 

 ful growths in the old and unfit, which is passing 

 away, they must undoubtedly perish with it. 



One of the most pleasing traits of the Cornish 



