ir
annual festivities, is a remedy which is gradually supplying them with
safer, and yet congenial, amusement. In what may be termed lesser morals
I cannot accord either them or the men the same praise. They are too
ungrateful for the many great benefits which are bountifully supplied
them--the brandy, the soup, and fresh meat readily extended without
stint from the farmer's home in sickness to the cottage are too quickly
forgotten. They who were most benefited are often the first to most
loudly complain and to backbite. Never once in all my observation have I
heard a labouring man or woman make a grateful remark; and yet I can
confidently say that there is no class of persons in England who receive
so many attentions and benefits from their superiors as the agricultural
labourers. Stories are rife of their even refusing to work at disastrous
fires because beer was not immediately forthcoming. I trust this is not
true; but it is too much in character. No term is too strong in
condemnation for those persons who endeavour to arouse an agitation
among a class of people so short-sighted and so ready to turn against
their own benefactors and their own interest. I am credibly informed
that one of these agitators, immediately after the Bishop of
Gloucester's unfortunate but harmlessly intended speech at the
Gloucester Agricultural Society's dinner--one of these agitators mounted
a platform at a village meeting and in plain language incited and
advised the labourers to duck the farmers! The agricultural women either
go out to field-work or become indoor servants. In harvest they
hay-make--chiefly light work, as raking--and reap, which is much harder
labour; but then, while reaping they work their own time, as it is done
by the piece. Significantly enough, they make longer hours while
reaping. They are notoriously late to arrive, and eager to return home,
on the hay-field. The children help both in haymaking and reaping. In
spring and autumn they hoe and do other piece-work. On pasture farms
they beat clots or pick up stones out of the way of the mowers' scythes.
Occasionally, but rarely now, they milk. In winter they wear gaiters,
which give the ankles a most ungainly appearance. Those who go out to
service get very low wages at first from their extreme awkwardness, but
generally quickly rise. As dairymaids they get very good wages indeed.
Dairymaids are scarce and valuable. A dairymaid who can be trusted to
take charge of a dai