Cottage Customs 77 



vanity and the ambition of preaching — for there is ambi- 

 tion in cottage life, as elsewhere ; but the men and women 

 I speak of are thoroughly in earnest. 



Cottagers have their own social creed and customs. In 

 their intercourse, one point which seems to be insisted 

 upon particularly is a previous knowledge or acquaintance. 

 The very people whose morals are known to be none of 

 the strictest — and cottage morality is sometimes very far 

 from severe — will refuse, and especially the women, to 

 admit a strange girl, for instance, to sleep in their house 

 for ample remuneration, even when introdued by really 

 respectable persons. Servant-girls in the country where 

 railways even now are few and far between often walk long 

 distances to see mistresses in want of assistance, by appoint- 

 ment. They get tired ; perhaps night approaches, and 

 then comes the difficulty of lodging them, if the house 

 happens to be full. Cottagers make the greatest difficulty, 

 unless by some chance it should be discovered that they 

 met the girl's uncle or cousin years ago. 



To their friends and neighbours, on the contrary, they 

 are often very kind, and ready to lend a helping hand. If 

 tbey seldom sit down to a social gathering among them- 

 selves, it is because they see each other so constantly 

 during the day, working in the same fields, and perhaps 

 eating their luncheon a dozen together in the same out- 

 house. A visitor whom they know from the next village 

 is ever welcome to what fare there is. On Sundays the 

 younger men often set out to call on friends at a distance 

 of several miles, remaining with them all day ; they carry 

 with them a few lettuces, or apples from the tree in the 

 garden (according to the season), wrapped up in a coloured 

 handkerchief, as a present. 



Some of the older shepherds still wear the ancient blue 



