New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-09-23
RURAL ENGLAND.
TIE Education Question Illustrated
The Oldest English Chapel.
Hornfngsharr. wiltshire, September Is

,-+a tr- t-onical dramas Of the Wessex novels.
There may be church weddings or TuneTa4s' OF
,hs-a may be choir practice under the green
wood tree; or a workman may be seen falling
eror, 4 spire: or the penitent hay~trasser. a1ter
su..tioning of his wife to the highest blooef'
,sv raxister a temperance oath at the village
,-.-. hut these are stray knots in the tangled
ets;n OF romance. Mt Hardy while faTI1ihar
* an architect with every tower and nave
sr,onE the chalk downs and barren heaths' mas
rsfrsined deliberately from making the village
church centre OF life IN rural England so
-Iose an observer must have had his reasons
.o- keeping the parish churches IN the back
,-n,1nd when he was reproducing in his stories
-.--- rhase Of life in the Southern counties
Vet thew are something more than picturesque
ys-a7,arks OF various Gothic periods, well or III
restored by rich patrons Church and chapel
srs centres OF Hodges sluggish thought and
NE and the manners education and aspira-
.;ons Of the rural workers are directed and con-
+r,l,sd BY them. In the smaller hamlets there
s-e no chapels. and the parish church ana
..sool have unchaIlensed authority. The old
.;,e coalition between parson and squire may
,o+ have survived the gradual and retarded
--ouzth Of democratic institutions, but the I'M
no-tsuce OF large land owners is tacitly recos-
-,zss and Hodge has learned his catechisIn Wen
enourb 10 conduct himself humbly and quietly
before all his betters
The village church on Sunday morning PIe-
SAINTS cross section Of life in rural England II
the social patron. titled merely enriched taxes
his responsibilities seriously, he may still De
.sa, IN an old fashioned high backed, square
rew where his sIunbers cannot be disturbed
~ the dronins voice of the preacher nor by
sv1--eutitious observation from the nave. nave
never seen IN any English village the traoirlonaI
Pew where the oldtime squire was accustomed
70 receive his letters from butler at private
v4ndov and to read them during service. Tne
r4e family pew. with ostentatious arrangements
for comfort and privacy. is common enough.
Even where it has disappeared the dignities OF
posstion and carved pewheads are reserved Tor
privileged station: and the surpliced sexton who
,asses the bag observes the proprieties with
.~-unulous care The great lady whose rent roll
suab-sces several parishes is singled out TOT
--scederce. and when it has been returned from
b.- hand Il is taken across the passage to the
sscond family in social Importance, and then
IN due course the estate agents. surveyors
ooachrnen and farm laborers are allowed TO
contribute their doles. Social classification is
somewhat rigidIy enforced after the worshppers
with one accord have placed themselves on
common level as miserable sinners: and when
.he service has ended Hodge holds his breath
and steps aside until the great are in their car
riages and are trundling homevard- Yet rural
England in the pattos OF its poverty has the
consultations Of religion without cost The
village churches built when stonenasons and
vvoodcarvers put religious spirit into their craft,
have been restored and enriched by generous
patrons The country rectors are not dependent
upon their hocks or impoverished farm laborers
for their wages or shelter. for the churches have
been endowed and comfortable vicarages pro-
vided through the piety Of past generations.
This independence OF the parish aims makes
the country parson his own master He receives
his living by virtue Of the endowment and holds
II without fear Of being dispossessed. It may
come from bishop from university or from q
wealthy land owner. but when he once has It
he cannot be disturbed. He has the right OF
nominating the rectors warden from year to
year and can find a substitute for him If they
DO not get pleasantly together. Between
them the parish is governed. for, while there
IS another warden elected By the people he is
powerless to resist his associate and the rector;
and there is vestry such as is known in the
American church, which is closely connected in
usage and ritual with the English Church. The
rector has supreme authority in the parish, and
orders the services as he likes. and since his own
warden invariably is IN accord with him there
Is no appeal from his decisions. Until the recent
education act was passed the parish school was
virtually conducted from the rectory. and
lig1ous instruction IN Il clerical detail Al
though the support OF these voluntary or denon-
the taxpayers. in many villages the teachers are
still chosen by the rector and the church cate
chisrn is taught as before In villages where
there are no chapels the children have only one
school. and the working people all in the
parish church and have much ritual as the
rector considers best for them. Religion and
education are in this way, reduced to a system
Of extreme simplicity and regularity. with one
nan responsible for all that is taught and be-
Ieved.
So It happens that while Hodge has his beauti-
ful old church precious heritage from the
MEDIEVAL period and is not called upon in his
poverty to support the rector. since endowments
have come from period when land was sold or
gfver subject TO an annual tribute TO the parish
he may not get precisely what he wants. either
IN public worship for the education Of the
children The rector and his warden have taken
the place Of the cldtiTae parson and squire and
the farm laborer must put up with what they
consider 10 be sound doctrine decorous ritual
and wholesome religious instruction II the
rector be q High Churchuan, or even an Ex-
treuist. the parish has no choice except to con-
form to his views, under the penalty OF remain
ing away from the services and keeping the
children out OF school When the majority or
country reetors are High Churchrnen. with an
upward trend more or less rapid, there are evil
dences OF discomfort even in small parishes
where the working people sluggish in mind
and essygoing in habit and this feeling has not
diminished with the transfer of the burden Of
support from the patrons OF voluntary schools
70 the ratepayers The resistance is greatly in
creased when there Is dissenting chapel IN the
village and those worshipping in 1t are taxed in
the rates for the maintenance Of the school,
which is virtually controlled by the rector.