News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-05-18
THE ENGLISH FARM LABORER,
From the New York Tribune. !
BY CAPTAIN MAYNE REID.


On the lowest round of Eneland's
social ladder-if indeed on it at all is
the Farm Laborer. Politically, as So
cially, he has 10 stains whatever; neither
any in an economic sense, his pay being
the least in tho land, and barely enough
to keep body and soul together. Yet is
he often manly, noble fellow, morally
and Intellectually the equal of those
who employ him; aye, often their su-
perior. Between him and them there
is little or no difference in breed or
blood only the accident of soma money
on one side with none at all on the
other. But the education, refinement
and manners which the possession of
means might be supposed to bestow are
not marked characteristics of those who
In the social scale stand Immediately
above the farm laborer while in prac-
teal and useful knowledge he is more
than on par with them. Money he
has none; nor is he ever likely to have
it. Out of twelve shillings week, or
scant three dollars-his wages in most
parts of the country-laying by as much
as single sixpence would be problem
to puzzle a miser. For be it under
stood that they are aboard wages" out
of which he must maintain himself and
family, feed, clothe and keep ROOF. over
their heads, besides -paying ma
-E1nas.se4s householder IN England is
not beneath the notice Of the tax
gatherer, nor exempt from his periodi-
cal visitations. In giving twelve shil-
ings as the weekly wages of farm
laborer, put it at its maximum in
most parts of the country; for in most
places is he only too glad to get this,
and thinks himself among the favored
ones il he can secure contract for it
throughout the whole year. Unless a
frst-rate hand, that he is not always
able to do; and in many districts ten
shillings or even nine is a common scale
of payment where it is permanent less
stilli if he be aged, or otherwise not up
to his work.
Considering that beef is rarely under
20 cents pound, mutton about the
same, and other sorts of fresh meat still
dearer that bacon of good quality is
Is cents, and flour usually over 81 the
bushel; that his cottage of two or three
rooms stands him in rent $50 to sos per
annum, it needs little arithmetic to fig
ure up the amount of hfe's luxury pos
sible to his position. Enough of life's
misery is there in it, however, and more
than enough, for the worst is not yet
told. There may be days of ruin, and
are-not unfrequently a week of it
when his wages cease, and want enters
his cottage. Or he may be laid up with
sickness, heightened spell; then the
want comes nearer to what might be
called famine "a diet of bare bread and
water, even in stinted allowances at
that Such cases are by no means rare.
In my own neighbor mood, comparative
ly prosperous one, hear of them al
most every day, and too well know them
to exist. Yet this is the merry, happy
England of Chauvinistic newspaper
writer's and Dragging orators--men who
know as much about the reality of her
rural life as they do of that in the moon,
or, knowing, falsely represent. To them
the condition of farm or other laborer
is OF slight concern, and little care they
whether he be merry or sad.
The labor he gives in return for the
above petty wages is great out of all
proportion. His regular hours of work
are from a. 10. till p. M, half hour
being allowed him for breakfast and
whole one for dinner. Unless his cot
tage chance to be close at hand he does
not go home for either meal, the time
not permitting it. They are brought
with him in his little bag or ''pail, and
eaten by the ditch side, even in winter;
or If working by the farmstead, the
repast will be made in the cart-shed,
barn, or other outbuilding AS to his
sitting down to spread table inside the
farmers house, even the kitchen Of it,
that is an occurrence of the rarest, and
eating at the farmers own table thing
altogether unknown to him. Poor is the
fare he subsists on, the very commonest
and cheapest to be procured at best
only bread and boiled bacon, cold Of
course. He deems himself well off with
this, and cannot always get it; often
having to fall back upon " bloater ~
(salt herring), eaten cold too. But of
all food commodities purchasable by
him, cheese is his chief staple and stand
by. 1t goes further for the amount of
money expended, and many a farm
Iaborer both for breakfast and dinner
has naught but this to "kitchen " his
bread with. Tea he can only get on his
return home after his task is done and
of this he is fond for notwithstanding
the tax on IL, it is possibly the most
economical and certainly the most lux
urious Of his meals.
True, in addition to his wages. he has
a daily allowance of beer, or in the
apple-growing shires of cider. But this