|
Date: |
|
Description: | "Our plate gives us a beautiful specimen of the marsh-farmer's home. Here lives our idyllic labourer, leading a joyous, healthful, profitable life. A small marsh-farm gives plenty of work to its possessor, who is generally an active, intelligent, kindly man, who can himself perform nearly all the operations of an agriculturist. He sows his oats, beans, and sometimes wheat, and he, with his family, harvest them; he plants his root crops, and tends his garden of vegetables. At eventide, his daughter drives home the cows, and while he is busy a-field in the daytime, his wife at home is rearing chickens and ducks, cultivating bees, and making cheeses and home-brewed ale for the family. When not very busy he will take his gun and shoot duck or plover as they fall in his way. every week, too, he has the little excitement of the trip to Norwich or Yarmouth in the market-cart, with his wife and his daughter, his cheeses and his eggs, his butter and his vegetables. There he picks up the latest news and drinks a glass or two with his friends. His wife and daughter sell the produce, do a little shopping, and towards evening all drive home happy and contented, sure of a welcome from the faithful watch-dog, who has guarded the farm in their absence."
Text by Peter Henry Emerson from the book 'Idyls of the Norfolk Broads' | License: | http://www.bl.uk/services/copy/permission.html | Publisher: | The Autotype Company | Rights holder: | British Library | Source: | Collect Britain | Creator: | Emerson, Peter Henry | Identifier: | http://www.collectbritain.co.uk/personal... | Language: | en-GB | Go to resource |
|
|