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Description: | " A secluded dike leads up to a group of quaint cottages clustered around a windmill, whose giant sails are asleep in the breathless air. On the left stands a boat-house, and to it is moored the broadman's boat, in which he makes his pilgrimages to the nearest village. At peace with all mankind lives this little colony in this old-world place: the miller heeds only the whirring of his mill as it grinds the corn, the collar-maker notes only the rise and fall in the market prices of the bolder and gladdon, the material with which he makes his light horse-collars, mats, and baskets. The old women count their ducks in the evening as they paddle up the dike to their roosting ground; fearful lest a hungry wherry-man should have helped himself to one of their nurslings, as sometimes happens. On Sundays the families row to church in large marsh-boats. Their holiday comes once a year on the day of the local water-frolic. Then dressed in their best they sail to 'their broad,' and bet and argue and drink beer, and at eventide return home forgetful of all cares."
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 |
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