Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-05-22
An English Village.

Inc village streets entertained us greatly from
animation: the moving figures of men, women,
and children; the ever open doorways and
bright firesides the flowers in every window;
the coming and going of wagons. carriers vans,
and coaches. The principal shops were the
"Dutcher's," the tea-grocer's" the "green-
groeer and poulterer's.5 the "bakers,S the
Around these prominent tradeSpeople circed
few lesser lights: cobbler, who worked most
la6oriously in his DOORWAY. thanked by two
grimy apprentices, and with a perpetual back
ground OF tall Wife and clamorous children; the
tailor who occupied a neighboring house, and
stitched in fine old kitchen furnished with
CnlppendaleS; he sat upon table In deep
old WinGow fairly on erhung with flowers and
being very old man. brought his eyes per-
ilously near the needle at every stitch. Some
pane, and then bring their heads In at the
always open door.
'How art'ee, John Timbs?" we would hear
them saying
"On the co. from the tailor, who never
turned muscle toward them. We wondered
often, seeing his intense application, whether
all over the village his stitching was famous,
and good pile OF corduroys and waistcoats
was always waiting to be distributed
The leading trades people wore an air of great
responsibility; their shops were trim and noe,
and their customers usually deferential. This
attitude of superiority was the great difference
between London shop-keepers and themselves;
The gentry" appeared, the shOp-keeper's tone
was lofty; his wife and daughters, usually serv-
Ing, In the shop would address the customers
with various degrees OF familiarity; well, now,
mrs. Bunting, what for you today" or ''WeI,
Jane, what zee been sent for, my gell?" or, "How
do yOu do, Elizabeth Wills? Have zee come for
something warm this weather.
These remarks would be accompanied by a
good humored cOndeScenSiOn, which OCCASION
ally encouraged the customer 10 sit down and
rest awhile between purchases, and possibly
enter family details tO on
teriZe all this. Differing subtly from the inter-
course In American country stores 1t lacked
our heartineSs of question and response our
never-fa1ling fntereSt-caled by the satirical
curiosity; our readiness to be aStOniShed or
amused. The English country man or woman
possesses but slight faculty for any such ex-
preston OF emotion: grave facts are received
with an unruffied CAIN, and grief and joy alike
seem robbed OF all excitement; but there is
certain Intensity In their brevity and quiet ut
teranceS not without its dramatic force, and
critical momen ts are sometimes pathetic from
their very silence.
The shops were ranged In the two principal
as is customary throughout England, was a
very open looking building. the butcher him.
self usually visible on the doorstep, and all the
best meats hung without, exactly as in the shops
of Chaucer'S day, or that chaotic period before
the exchange was established to give system to
trades people and purchasers the Diapers had
one bulgiDg window, and a loud bell over the
eG ana tne WHOM hd was
so gr1evOuS lure for the children OF the neigh
borhood that there was always row of
little marks on the paneS above the danger
GUS connections, and one never approached the
bakers without sending flock OF Juveniles
flying in various directions. The shops were
interspersed with houses and inns, nearly all
OF which were whitewaShed and matched
Many OF the buildings were medieval; some
had curious old porches with seats on either
side, and bit OF tagged COURT here and there
appeared the peaked roofs and tiny windows of
Henry the Seventies day, and the sixteenth and
seventeenth centuries ha1 t...ad MANY
models. In the humber district every door
stood open, morning, noon, and night, SO that
going up and down the street, one could catch
gllmpses OF succession OF interiors all ar
ranged much after the same fashion, all char
acterlzed py deep Window-seats with high mar
row easements, giving the prettiest back ground
to the stone-fagged Kitchens, with bit Of mus
lin curtain, and always the added grace OF
flowers. We used to think we had never seen
children; both seemed to grow equally care
leSsly; every doorway Overf1owed with little
people, bare-armed and bare-pecked but never
baIefooted, and every window was blooming
with flowers and green with ferns.
Away up at the end of the village street was
the forge, always open, busy and cheerful, its
shadows giving Rembrandt effect to the
angle OF the road In which it stood, and its
which the dusky farriers could be seen at their
work, white outside was sure to be a group of
fclers about the horses waiting to be shod: old
men, IN smock- frocks and broad brimmed hats,
leaning upon sticks; boys OF every age, from
three to twelve; one or two shy, rOsy.cheeked
girls, In holland pinafOreS, with bare red arms
and enormous hob shoes. Above CHS
scattered gronp was the dense foliage Of an old
wide portal OF the forge. 1t was very pleas
Ing roadside picture, Characteristic of the VII
lage work and people, and formed one of the
half-dozen centers for color and effect.