Hodge and His Masters

Hodge and His Masters, by
Richard Jefferies

The Project Gutenberg eBook, Hodge and His Masters, by Richard
Jefferies
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net

Title: Hodge and His Masters
Author: Richard Jefferies
Release Date: April 3, 2004 [eBook #11874]
Language: English
Character set encoding: iso-8859-1
***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HODGE
AND HIS MASTERS***
E-text prepared by Malcolm Farmer and Project Gutenberg Distributed
Proofreaders

HODGE AND HIS MASTERS

BY
RICHARD JEFFERIES
Author of 'The Gamekeeper at Home,' 'Wild Life in a Southern
County,' 'The Amateur Poacher,' 'Round About A Great Estate,' Etc.

PREFACE
The papers of which this volume is composed originally appeared in
the Standard, and are now republished by permission of the Editor.
In manners, mode of thought, and way of life, there is perhaps no class
of the community less uniform than the agricultural. The diversities are
so great as to amount to contradictions. Individuality of character is
most marked, and, varying an old saw, it might be said, so many
farmers so many minds.
Next to the tenants the landowners have felt the depression, to such a
degree, in fact, that they should perhaps take the first place, having no
one to allow them in turn a 20 per cent, reduction of their liabilities. It
must be remembered that the landowner will not receive the fruits of
returning prosperity when it comes for some time after they have
reached the farmer. Two good seasons will be needed before the
landowner begins to recoup.
Country towns are now so closely connected with agriculture that a
description of the one would be incomplete without some mention of
the other. The aggregate capital employed by the business men of these
small towns must amount to an immense sum, and the depreciation of
their investments is of more than local concern.
Although the labourer at the present moment is a little in the
background, and has the best of the bargain, since wages have not
much fallen, if at all; yet he will doubtless come to the front again. For
as agriculture revives, and the sun shines, the organisations by which
he is represented will naturally display fresh vigour.

But the rapid progress of education in the villages and outlying districts
is the element which is most worthy of thoughtful consideration. On the
one hand, it may perhaps cause a powerful demand for corresponding
privileges; and on the other, counteract the tendency to unreasonable
expectations. In any case, it is a fact that cannot be ignored. Meantime,
all I claim for the following sketches is that they are written in a fair
and impartial spirit.
RICHARD JEFFERIES.

CONTENTS
I. THE FARMERS' PARLIAMENT
II. LEAVING HIS FARM
III. A MAN OF PROGRESS
IV. GOING DOWNHILL
V. THE BORROWER AND THE GAMBLER
VI. AN AGRICULTURAL GENIUS--OLD STYLE
VII. THE GIG AND THE FOUR-IN-HAND. A BICYCLE FARMER
VIII. HAYMAKING. 'THE JUKE'S COUNTRY'
IX. THE FINE LADY FARMER. COUNTRY GIRLS
X. MADEMOISELLE, THE GOVERNESS
XI. FLEECEBOROUGH. A 'DESPOT'
XII. THE SQUIRE'S 'ROUND ROBIN'
XIII. AN AMBITIOUS SQUIRE

XIV. THE PARSON'S WIFE
XV. A MODERN COUNTRY CURATE
XVI. THE SOLICITOR
XVII. 'COUNTY COURT DAY'
XVIII. THE BANK. THE OLD NEWSPAPER
XIX. THE VILLAGE FACTORY. VILLAGE VISITORS.
WILLOW-WORK
XX. HODGE'S FIELDS
XXI. A WINTER'S MORNING
XXII. THE LABOURER'S CHILDREN, COTTAGE GIRLS
XXIII. THE LOW 'PUBLIC' IDLERS
XXIV. THE COTTAGE CHARTER, FOUR-ACRE FARMERS
XXV. LANDLORDS' DIFFICULTIES, THE LABOURER AS A
POWER. MODERN CLERGY
XXVI. A WHEAT COUNTRY
XXVII. GRASS COUNTRIES
XXVIII. HODGE'S LAST MASTERS, CONCLUSION
CHAPTER I

THE FARMERS' PARLIAMENT
The doorway of the Jason Inn at Woolbury had nothing particular to
distinguish it from the other doorways of the same extremely narrow

street. There was no porch, nor could there possibly be one, for an
ordinary porch would reach half across the roadway. There were no
steps to go up, there was no entrance hall, no space specially provided
for crowds of visitors; simply nothing but an ordinary street-door
opening directly on the street, and very little, if any, broader or higher
than those of the private houses adjacent. There was not even the usual
covered way or archway leading into the courtyard behind, so often
found at old country inns; the approach to the stables and coach-houses
was through a separate and even more narrow and winding street,
necessitating a detour of some quarter of a mile. The dead, dull wall
was worn smooth in places by the involuntary rubbings it had received
from the shoulders of foot-passengers thrust rudely against it as the
market-people came pouring in or out, or both together.
Had