The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-04-30
WAKEMAN'S WANDERINGS.
Some Interesting Gossip About English
Villages and Their FOIk---III.

Better Place 1nan PARSONS Lawn
or Brawling Street-A Lowly Folk
Who Have Emerged From Sodden
Kinds to Self-respecting Men and
Copyright, 1881
London. April 17.-After all, though
the antiquarian, historic and picturesque
features of English villages provide end
less fascination and charm, their human
interest has the strongest hold upon the
observant mind and sympathetic nature.
They are by no means alike, though
universally possessing similar character
istics. and very many are stril1ingly
typical Of them all. Those most like the
English villages of literature will be
found in the eastern, midland and south
ern shires. from Lincoln around to
Devon. and these comprise the far greater
number Those differing most from each
other. and occasionally separately as well
asa whole from all others, are those of the
northwestern shireS; the northwestern
midland shires where industrial develop
rneut has created a host Of cOmDarativelv
modern hamlets; the western central
shircs among the Malvern and COtswold
hills. where the antiquity of all villages is
very GREAT; and those of Cornwall where
race distinction has left strongly marked
peculiaritieS in language, customs and
home and village life among the lowly
The peasants of Cumberland and West
mOreand who are nearly all villagers.
most of the former being statesmen
that is, owners in fee of their tiny estates,
are as a rule "house-proud. In years of
wandering among the lowly of European
countries | have never come upon any
rustic folk the exteriors of whose habita-
tions were more picturesque, or whose in
teriors were such shining examples of
are, of course, exceptions. Now and
then you will find hamlets like
Watendlath, hidden among the fells be-
tween BOrrowdale and Thirlmere, where
may be seen the sodden squalor OCCASION
ally met among the unfortunate Scottish
west coast crOfters and in the Irish west
coast fishing villages. Their houses are
dark and Unwh01esomc, the floors uneven,
the furniture crazy, the men clad in
ragged fustian and the women in coarse
wool and wooden clogs. These are sheep
herders under later sort of feudalism
In every such case the history is. their
fOrefatherS sold their little estates to
encroaChing land-grabbers, and their
children are consequently to-day in a con-
dition of petty serfdom.
Precisely as in WOrdsworth's time YOU
will find outside the Cumbrian villagers
cottages the shade of grand old sycanores
and always "a tall fir through which the
winds sing when other trees are lea flesS :"
in the rear a little orchard an ample
herb bed a near rill or spring spout with
its ceaseless wimple; comely garden;
comfortable stone outbuildings for grain
and for winter housing of the COWS and
tiny but hardy Cumbrian sheep; and
always the shed for the hives of bees
which distil from the mountain heath
the darkest. but ever the sweetest, honey
in the world.
These village home interiors are no less
Characteristic The floors are usually of
the same huge States as those covering
the roof. They are scrubbed and cleaned
until they shine like dusky mirrors Ere
quently you viii find them, particularly
near the door and fireplace, decorated
with white, Ochre and vermiliOn chalk in
figures and scroll work, embodying
strange fancies in rustic art The living
room, or fire house" as it is called, is al
ways very large for cottage, often from
eighteen to twenty-five feet square, low,
but with the richest of old and polished
oaken beams in the ceiling. Indeed, old
oak may be found in these Cumbrian vii
lage homes in profusion.
The long, solid table with benches at
its sides where the statesman" his
family and labOrers sit together at meals
and OF evenings In winter; the long set
tie" or 2-yards long seat at one side of
the great fireplace, and the ''sconce'' on
the other side, under which the nights
fuel, called an "elden," is placed the
chairs, huge and high and requiring a
strong arm to move them; the high, mar
row, spraWling-legged bureaus the many
iron or brass bound chests: the beds
huge and strong enough to hold giants
Tor these CUmbrians are often tremendous
III stature-are all of oak, curiously
carved and wonderfully polished All this
Is sometimes varied by pieces of
MAHOGANY almost as unique as
can be found among the peas
ant-homes Of Brittany. From this large
clean fire house, or living room there
are in all directions inviting vistas
through wide, low doors and cozy stone
!ean-tos, perhaps each one built in
uLIercnt century, TO tiny PANIED windows,
splayed hike turret windows, white with
inner curtains, and in summer ablaze with
outer bud and blossom These VILLAGERS
rooted to the land which gave them birth
nOt only by the sacred ties Of heredity
but by the, to them, more priceless herit-
age OF ownership, neither emigrate nor
Hock TO the congcsted towns Here is
rare rural England as it has for centuries
neehi among type of independent, half
S1ehant folk, whose simplicity, piety,
n55fdlhood and solidarity compel genuine
admiration and respect.
Many Of the comparatively modern
villages OF Yorkshire, Lancashire, Derby
Si!lre ana Statiordshire, the village homes
OF operatives in mimos, mills and pOtteries,
are 1ar prettier and more comfortable
Than even many Fnglishmen would have
US oeleYe. half dozen different relig-
IONS hghtmg tooth and nail for their pietv
auu pence. the vague unrest that comes
through almost unlimited access to news
papers and books, and the changed stand
aruS OF necessities and Injuries pressing
soreiy upon the highest limitations Of
~ ven largely increased wages, have given
Cue villagers of this type of hamlets an
eHJlIeIG different mental and material
mold. l would not say they are happier
i IoE lhe change; but their homes, food,
Idoor' wage and its environment are,
d we measure things, so greatly superior
" NOSE OF the same people from a halt
century to century ago.
Many Of these hamlets are nassed about
w ltees, have architecturally beautiful lit
We churches, chapels. club houses, libraries
e .i5 the neatest Of shops. Nearly all are
s Siuy and clean. The potters' villages of
9t}laHordshire are good illustrations of
mem tHs@ all. Within fve-mile radius Of
imddduiey, Burslem and Stoke, you can find
tu'U}J homes of pottors, nearly all in