Cottages. 79 



CHAPTER V. 



VILLAGE ARCHITECTURE THE COTTAGE PREACHER 



COTTAGE SOCIETY THE SHEPHERD EVENTS OP 



THE VILLAGE TEAR, 



SoiiE few farmhouses, with cow-j^ards and rick-yards 

 attached, are planted in the midst of the village ; and 

 these have cottages occupied by the shepherds and 

 carters, or other laborers, who remain at work for 

 the same employer all the year. These cottages are 

 perhaps the best in the place, larger and more com- 

 modious, with plenty of space round them, and fair- 

 sized gardens close to the door. The system of hiring 

 for a twelvemonth has been bitterly attacked ; but as 

 a matter of fact there can be no doubt that a man 

 with a famil}^ is better off when settled in one spot 

 with constant emploj-ment, and any number of odd 

 jobs for his wife and children. The cottages not 

 attached to any particular farm — belonging to vari- 

 ous small owners — are generally much less conven- 

 ient ; they are huddled together, and the footpaths 

 and rights of way frequently cross, and so lead to 

 endless bickering. 



Not the faintest trace of design can be found in 

 the ground-plan of the village. All the odd nooks 

 and corners seem to have been preferred for building 

 sites ; and even the steep side of the hill is dotted 



