and happy. They drink black coffee, or beer if their parents can
afford it. The food of the older people is much the same.

Most of the people in the country districts of Flanders--men, women,
boys, and girls--work in the fields. In summer they rise at four or
five in the morning, and after eating a slice of bread go out into the
fields. At half-past eleven or twelve they dine on bread and potatoes,
with perhaps a slice of pork, and take a rest. Then they work again
till about four in the afternoon, when they rest again, and after that
they work on till it is dark. In the short days of winter they toil
from sunrise till sunset. By this means they earn enough to live on. A
boy or girl may get from 5d. to 7d. a day, a woman a little more,
while a married man generally receives 1s. 8d. or 2s. Some farmers pay
an unmarried labourer 10d. and his food.

This seems a dull and hard life, but the Flemings do not find it so.
Like all Belgians, they are fond of amusement, and there is a great
deal of dancing and singing, especially on holidays. Sunday is the
chief holiday. They all go to church in the morning, and the rest of
the day is given up to play. Unfortunately many of the older people
drink too much. There are far too many public-houses. Any person who
likes can open one on payment of a small sum of money to the
Government. The result is that in many quite small villages, where
very few people live, there are ten or twelve public-houses, where a
large glass of beer is sold for less than a penny, and a glass of
coarse spirits for about the same price. Most of the drinking is done
on Sunday, and on Monday morning it is often difficult to get men to
work. There are many, especially in the towns, who never work on
Mondays. This is quite understood in Belgium, and people who know the
country are pleased, and rather surprised, if an artisan who has
promised to come and do something on a Monday morning keeps his word.
Of course there are many sober work-people, and it is a rare thing to
see a tipsy woman, much rarer than in England; but there is a great
deal of drunkenness in Belgium.

There is one thing to which all the boys and girls look forward, and
that is what is called the _Kermesse_. This is a kind of fair, which
takes place at every village in summer, and lasts for two or three
days. They talk about it for weeks before, and for weeks after. They
save up every penny they can lay their hands on, and when the time
comes