244 OLD WEST SURREY 



in a plain, every-day sort of way, than this habit of cheer- 

 fulness. I think it is one of the things that should be 

 taught to children. It is painful to see how many of the 

 faces of quite young children, as well as those of grown-up 

 people, habitually wear a scowl or some other displeasing 

 or disfiguring expression ; whereas the rule was, among the 

 old people I remember, and the few of them that remain, 

 as well as among the present-day labouring people who live 

 in the remoter places, and have inherited their ancestors' 

 graces of manner and countenance ; that they met each 

 other with a frank, free bearing and a ready smile, as if 

 they unconsciously carried in their minds the fine old bell- 

 ringer's testamentary injunction : ' No muffled bells for me.' 



Fifty years ago the village fair-days were almost the 

 only week-day holidays. Local benefit clubs arranged that 

 these should also be their club-days. In the forenoon all 

 the members marched in procession, headed by a band 

 and banner ; a large silk flag with the name of the club 

 painted on it and some devices. These devices, in the 

 case of the club I remember, were two life-sized hands 

 clasped, as an emblem of mutual helpfulness, and a plough ; 

 with the motto ' God speed the plough.' The procession 

 passed the forenoon in going round to the houses of 

 prominent residents, who made some addition to the clubs' 

 finances, and spent the afternoon, after dining together, 

 among the booths of the fair. 



In some villages the older forms of amusement were 

 of a very rough kind. There was a traditional fight that 

 took place on Whit-Monday, between the Kaffirs — no doubt 

 a quite recent corruption of Cavaliers- — of Coneyhurst Hill 



