Out In The Hop-Gardens The Poles Are Placed Ready For
Setting, In Conical Heaps - At A Distance Resembling The Tents Of An Army.
Never Were The Labouring Men So Glad To See The Spring, For Never Have So
Many Of Them Been Out Of Work Or For Longer Periods.
Yet, curiously
enough, even if out of work and suffering, every sort of job will not
suit them.
One applicant for work was offered hop-pole shaving at 3 - s - . a
hundred - said to be a fair price; but the work did not please him, and he
would not do it. On the other hand, a girl sent out 'to service' turned
her back on domestic duties, ran away from her mistress, and joined her
father and brother in the woods where they were shaving hop-poles. There
she worked with them all the winter - the roughest of rough
winters - preferring the wild freedom of the snow-clad woods, with hard
food, to the indoor employment. No mistress there in the snow: one woman
does not like another over her. A man stood idling at the cross-roads in
the village for weeks, hands in pockets, waiting for work. Some one took
pity on him, and said he could come and dig up an acre of grassland to
make a market garden; 15 - s - . a week was the offer, with spade found, and
not long hours. 'Thank you, sir; I'll go and look at it,' said the
labourer. He went; and presently returned to say that he did not care
about it.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 241 of 394
Words from 64655 to 64917
of 105669
