New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-02-26

outside, and consequently there is constant
tendency in rainy weather for the water to run
or soak in The elm tree overhead that APP
reared so picturesque in summer is now curse
for the great drops fall pcrpctually from II upon
the thatch and the pathway in front OIL
the door. In great storms of wind IT swaHs ~
and fro causing no little alarm and boughs are
sometimes blown of il and fall upon the TOOL
tree The thatch OF the cottage Is satura'cu'
the plants and grasses that almost always Cru"
upon it and the moss are wildly, rankiy green
till all dripping, soaked, Overgrown WIN weeus'
the wretched place looks not unlike dunehlii
Inside the draught is only one degree oe''er
! than the smoke These low chimneys. over
sbadowcd with trees smoke necessarily. and I'll!
the room with smother. To avoid 'he draught
many of the cottages are fitted with wooden
screens which divide the loom. small enough
before into two parts. tie outer Of which. TO-
ward the door is n bowling wilderness OF draueht
and wet from under the door, and the inner part
close. stuny and dim with smoke driven down
the chimney by the shifting wind. Here the
family are all huddlcd up close together over
the ember~. Here the cooking is done. such
as it is Here they sit in the dark. or in such
light as is supplied hy the carefully boarded
stock Of fuel, till il is time 10 60 TO bed. and
that is generally early enough. SO rigid Is TIE
economy practised in many OF these cottages
that a candle is rarely. il ever, used The liglt
of the fire sufllces and they find their beds IN
the dark
Picture after picture may be drawn from 'hlS
rich storehOusc Ct impressions Mr.. JcncrieS io'-
lows the agricultural laborer. male and female
from the cradle to thc grave. il may be said. lie
depicts him in his every aspect lie exposes MS
lcfolmitics. lie unoovcrs his barbarisms. Yet
in fhp
fellow is not ten times as bad ~ he Is. FOR
how hidcous is the life he leads: how brualzlns.
The farmer, Mr. .Jcfercs tells us. is nnconmonly
intelligent 1t is certainly more than the aGri-
cultural laborcr has chance to be. Leading
such a toll deadened, half-raraly.ed life, how can
he he much more than an animal ? not illcond-
toned indeed rot so given 20 wiic-bea'lng, Tor
instance, as certain city poor: but prone 10
drunkenness which is the only form OF temporary
relief ever open TO him; and fond OF the alchou~.
where he finds the only bodily comfort and quiet
that comes 10 him. Trulr, the picture OF TINS
man is a frghtfll one. 1t is not necessary TO
say that il can be matched without going so far
as England The state Of the very poor every
where is and eve. has been, dreadful. nor has
it ever mended matters TO say that their miSfor-
time is their fault besides which, the statement
is not true.
This last collection OF Jeh"ress Wri'ihSS'
should certainly he priced by all his admirers
and their name is legion. In some respects
il contains the most moving and absorbing things
he has written. and it serves TO fill up and com
plctc the fine work he has done in his other
volumes and at the same time furnishes some
clew 10 that astounding depth Of knowledge
concerning country life in ENGLAND which was one
of his most remarkable traits 1t is perfectly
evident that he had for many years made care
ful study of these things; had treasured mp every
significant fact had put in their places every
telling characteristic. and had the whole subject
duly mapped out. OF course. too, as always hap
pens in such cases he has not told half what he
knows lie has not told half. but at the SINE
time he has given many suggestions and half
hints that we are enabled TO complete for our
selves many structures Of which al first gl'ncc
he might seem only to have raised the scaiiold-
ing As 10 the style, is il necessary TO say any
thing more than that it is JeIeries's s1yle car
less racy, full, natural and easy. II is the last
message we shall have from him. That is the
worst of il. But he has. after all. left noble
and not an inconsiderable monument in his writ
inCe