File:The cottages and the village life of rural England (1912) (14593290567).jpg

Identifier: cu31924014023463 (find matches)
Title: The cottages and the village life of rural England
Year: 1912 (1910s)
Authors: Ditchfield, P. H. (Peter Hampson), 1854-1930 Quinton, A.R
Subjects: Cottages Villages
Publisher: London, J.M. Dent & sons ltd. New York, E.P. Dutton & co.
Contributing Library: Cornell University Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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dgeconnects the little island-home with the world. Formerly it 133 COTTAGES OF RURAL ENGLAND could be raised and lowered at will; but the chains are rustyand the wheels have gone, and the bridge is a permanent structurenow or replaced by a causeway. No troublesome visitors areexpected now, unless a foreign enemy comes to invade our shores,against whom the best of moats would offer but a feeble defence.In summer-time when the sun shines and gleams through the treesthat stand on its banks, upon its still waters, and ducks sport onits surface, the moat appears a charming feature of the farm orcottage home ; but it makes the house damp and cheerless in thedull winter days, and we wish it were drained and turned into agarden. However, the moat tells of times of storm and stress,of fight and foray, of crime and lawlessness, that have long sincepassed away, and makes us thankful for present peaceful dayswhich we trust no bugle-call to arms, no internal strife and unrestwill ever disturb. 134
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XIII IN MART AND HOSTEL In olden days the village was very self-centred. It was more orless independent for its supplies on the outside world, save that thepedlar used to bring his pack to ply his trade and persuade purchasersto buy by his fluent tongue and merry jests. The chapman was avery welcome person in olden days, as, besides his wares, he broughtnews of the great events that were going on in the kingdom whenintercourse between town and village was restricted and com-munication difficult. He carried a wonderful assortment of goodsin his pack—pins, points, vests, girdles, hats, caps, laces, gloves,knives, glasses, tapes, and much else. He was an itinerant shop,and when shops were few and far between his calling was a veryuseful one. Even still we meet him occasionally in our country lanes ;but he is sad-faced and slow of speech, a mere ghost of the merryAutolycus who plied his trade a few centuries ago, and whoseportrait Shakespeare has painted for us. But by degrees shops beg

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