The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-08-22
RURAL LIFE IN ENGLAND.
ADJUSTMENTS OF LADS AND LAssEs
AT A COUNTRY FAIR.
Scenes Tint are Disappearing Before
Dude EniIucncc-A Common
Picture Twenty Years Ago.

FOR getting tue insight into the char
acters Of the English peasantry, says a
writer in the San Francisco call. There
| all reserve is laid aside, and Johnny and
Molly do really enjoy themselves. A
stranger might walk a hundred miles
| through the country and never meet
with 1.-THE of the character he will here
| pick up. Johnny invariably carries a
stick in his hand, and, unless when talk
ing, eating or drinking, you find the
knot thrust into his mouth He wears
high ankle boots, laced very tight, and
twines the lace three or four times around
the ankle before he fastens it. He has
on worstcd hose, either blue or gray, and
prefers having them ribbed. His breeches
are either velvetecn, corduroy, or velvet
with pearl buttons on the knees, and a
large bunch of drab ribbon, the ends of
which he likes to see hang good way
down. If these are new, he generally
tucks up his smock -frock to show them.
His waistcoat is either plush or light
kind of fustian, stamped all over with
spots, rings, squares or diamonds. If he
/ can get pattern with half dozen colors
in it he likes it all the better, for if it is
large and staring he knows Betty will
consider it very neat His neckerchief
is generally either red or yellow; he likes
the ends to hang out good way, and to
feel the real India blowing about the face
He rubs up the down on his hat the
wrong way 20 show how thick it is of
beaver" for he loves to see everything
he wears stick out and be conspicuous.
Molly has generally pair of pattens
in one hand and a cotton umbrella in
the other, it matters not how fair or
how fine it may be. She bought them
a May day or two before and she argues
that it's no use having such things un-
less she brings them out. If she has
sweetheart he generally carries the pat
tens, and they are the cause of a little at
tention on both sides, for she says:
"Let me carrien EN- a bit, John, to
wresten thy fistas."
He answers, Noah. Molly, thankeen
thee; l wool how'd 'em mesen."
Her gown is the grandest she can pur-
chase. The pattern is either a great I'M
natural flower, or trailing scaweed
bordered with shells. She likes red
shawl because it can be seen long way
off. As soon as they get into the fair,
John either buys pound of ginger
bread. or OF nuts, which he ties up in
his handkerchief, leaving, however, one
corner open into which they can insert
their hands. They crack and munich
away while there is one left. Some
times she says they are mixed, " and he
says Hey" They then saunter around
and have look at the shows and
booths. He buys knife with three or
four blades, which is only fit to cut
butter. Molly purchases few yards of
red or blue ribbon. They then pay a
penny each. and have look into a peep
show; when it is over Johnny wonders
however they can get such long streets
and big houses into such a small place,
and Molly answers that its all magic. "
They next try their fortune in a penny
lucky bag, which they are assured con-
tains ''all prizes and no blanks, Johnny
gets a cotton stay lace and Molly row
of pins. They purchase a song of bal
lad singer, which is ''all about love and
I, such like They then get into a swing
boat, and are tossed up and down until
they begin to feel very queer indeed,
for they have eaten all the pastry they
could fancy, to say nothing of apples,
nuts, oranges pears, plums and ginger
bread.
: SO they adjourn to the public house
"to rest and settle down bit" John
} meets few acquaintance and tries tC
J smoke pipe; this with few glasses OF
, ale sets his tongue a-gOing There i;
generally recruiting party in the room
and as the ale gets into his NOODLE he
} talks about listing, at which Molly pull.
: his sleeve and says "Dunna be fool
) Johnny" He then tries a song, and tC
g make the tune and metre harmonic layl
his accent in very peculiar places.
e lie offers to thrash, pillow, reap, or NOV
7 with ANY man i the room for a gowdei
I guinea, and to put the money down.
He gets his comrade. who is drinkin!
- with him, to feel his arm, and sometime
a barcs it to show the strength of his mus
| Giles. lie tells how he once lifted a sacl
Of corn into the wagon without ever let
1 ting it rest upon him only touching i
B. with his hands. lie would quarrel wer,
$ it not for Molly getting up and poppin!
a her pattens between her lover and hi
= opponent. Johnny gets mellow, is read
h for anything, and will go out. Molli
. has picked up female companion who,
sweetheart is as far gone as her own, an,
they follow arm-in-arm to see that moth
S u happens to their lovers.
=. creased pole for a new hat, ride donkc
/, race, wheel barrow bindGolded. jun
# in a sack, or, as he says, ANY manner o
l. thing" There is soon seen lot of sack
l. full of men, with only a head peepin
IL out, and Johnny's about the most stupi
1t of the whole lot, for he makes up the on
n of half a dozen who begin with jumpin,
a in sacks. lie gets in with great Difficult
,r ty, has his arm thrust down, is tied u
IS about the shoulders, and when the wor
e "On " is given, he is about the first tina
'e falls. Molly can hardly unloose him fo
Is laughing. Better luck next time, " say
m Johnny, and he enters the chase for tn
IN pig with its soaped tail, rubbing his han
he we'll in the sand to make it rough beior
or he starts. The pig is turned loose, an
" after him they start. Johnny is begin
ming to get little sober by this time
and is, moreover, capital runner. IL