ples on wire, which he twists into baskets, to hold
knicknackeries. He is witty, and has his jest for everybody. He can do
something of everything--turn his hand any way--a perfect treasure on
the farm. In the old days there was another character in most villages;
this was the rhymer. He was commonly the fiddler too, and sang his own
verses to tunes played by himself. Since the printing-press has come in,
and flooded the country with cheap literature, this character has
disappeared, though many of the verses these men made still linger in
the countryside.

The ordinary adult farm labourer commonly rises at from four to five
o'clock; if he is a milker, and has to walk some little distance to his
work, even as early as half-past three. Four was the general rule, but
of late years the hour has grown later. He milks till five or half-past,
carries the yokes to the dairy, and draws water for the dairymaid, or
perhaps chops up some wood for her fire to scald the milk. At six he
goes to breakfast, which consists of a hunch of bread and cheese as the
rule, with now and then a piece of bacon, and as a milker he receives
his quart of beer. At breakfast there is no hurry for half-an-hour or
so; but some time before seven he is on at the ordinary work of the day.
If a milker and very early riser, he is not usually put at the heavy
jobs, but allowances are made for the work he has already done. The
other men on the farm arrive at six. At eleven, or half-past, comes
luncheon, which lasts a full hour, often an hour and a quarter. About
three o'clock the task of milking again commences; the buckets are got
out with a good deal of rattling and noise, the yokes fitted to the
shoulders, and away he goes for an hour or hour and a half of milking.
That done, he has to clean up the court and help the dairymaid put the
heavier articles in place; then another quart of beer, and away home.
The time of leaving off work varies from half-past five to half-past
six. At ordinary seasons the other men leave at six, but in haymaking or
harvest time they are expected to remain till the job in hand that day
is finished, often till eight or half-past. This is compensated for by a
hearty supper and almost unlimited beer. The women employed in field
labour generally leave at four, and hasten home to prepare the evening
meal. The evening meal is the great event of the day. Like the
independent gentleman in this one thing, the labourer dines late in the
day.