POPPLEFIELD

Northern Advocate, 5 February 1934, Page 12

POPPLEFIELD

OUE HAMLET IN SUSSEX. A SKETCH OF VILLAGE LIFE IX THE' VICTORIAN ERA. (By .A, Hornet.) Foreword. The scene is laid at Popplefield. a village hot to be found'on any map. All the'characters are entirely imaginary, and do not relate to any living persons, but the sketch is based on facts. It makes no pretence to being a novel, being merely a pen picture of English A’illage life. In those times of depression and unrest, to some it mav be a pleasure to have a peep into the halcyon times of the last century when the world .knew: not motor mas, bobbed-haired girls, short skirts and other brazes and thrills. Persons born and bred in the dominions have only a faint conception of .society in England, especially in the rural districts, at the time when Queen Victoria was on the throne. In short, it may be asked Avhat do young colonials know of England fifty years ago. Dickens set before us a avcll painted picture oT the great middle and lower classes of society in England, and Disraeli gam; •us a fantastic sketch of the upper class. But the works of lliese great Avriters are brushed aside for detective novels written Avithnut aim or purposp, most of them not being true to nature. Dickens’Avas true to nature; his characters were drawn from life. He wrote for a set purpose Avheif he caricatured the middle class,’.and shoAved up the artificiality and’ holloAvness of ordinary life. Above all, he shoAved up by ridicule the hypocrisy of a certain grade of self-righteous people indigenous only to England. Today, the passion, or fashion, is for detective novels, and these are most sought after in every public, library. The scribblers of those detective romances follow one another in Indian file in the same manner as ducks Avhen they Avaddle along. The characters,.drawn in this style of fiction, when perplexed help themselves to whisky and soda (Avhisky is always

handy although it costs 14 shillings a bottle), all smoke cigarettes, allude to each other as “Sherlock Holmes” or “Watson,” and the beautiful girl, the heroine, enriched by nature with a a veil set chin, dimples in her cheeks, and a pretty little retrousse nose, also smokes cigarettes, but partakes of cocktails instead of whisky. To add to her accomplishments she is strong minded enough to carry, in her vanity bag, an automatic which she is afraid to fire, lut at the critical moment faints. After being revived by having cold water spirinklcd on her beautiful face, she has another go at cocktails and lights a cigarette. The Scotland Yard detective usually is a muff, and the private detective, called in by the hero, is not much better. The mystery eventually is solved by the butler, who discloses in “What the butler saw.” In the end, he marries the pretty housemaid. The missing will is fmbn hidden away in the bindings of an old Bible, and the beautiful girl, having" made a net for the hero, puts him in the matrimonial cage. The villain is seldom hanged, but breaks his nock by accident, or else is allowed to commit suicide. These high arts on mystery, murder, and detectives can he bought for about seven and six a book, half the price of a bottle of docent whisky. From notes in my possession, I have] put this sketch together, and tender “Popplefield,” that is to say, our hamlet, as a pasquinade on English rural life Avhon the country had no serious Avar on its hands, or in view, and when the control of education was causing endless disputes in all circles, Hum affording some diversion from Hie humdrum of life. This little sketch' of English pastoral life centralises round the Rev. Samuel Malonev, rector of . i Popplefield; to know him Avas to respect him. It also brings in view Count, .Damnilla, 'an eccentric Spanish nobleman, and Mrs Crust, of Bluebell Villa, a most objects on aide female—and to knoAV her was to dislike her. With this simple explanation, I shall uoav raise the curtain, and portray our hamlet with its principal characters as they appeared in the Victorian age. Characters (Male). The Eev. Samuel Maloney, hector of Popplefield.

The Rev. Augustus Sraythe, Vicar of Sweetwater, the station on the main line for Popplefield. Sir Albert Bungay, of Bilhnrst Park (people ’s Avarden). Major Peacock, owner of Belcher’s Farm. Count Rudolph Alfonso Damnilla, Major Peacock’s tenant. Lorenzo, the Count’s valet. John S’wallow, a gentleman, brother to a Member of Parliament. Silas Luck, the village blacksmith (Rector’s Avarden). Tom Bowler, village carpenter and undertaker. (Mr) Growler, the village carrier. Mr Dovecote, a tenant farmer. Old Jollihoy, a brickmaker and master mechanic. Mr Podger, a friend of Mrs Crust. Ted Pinclier, a farm labourer. Don Carver, a farm labourer. Tim Dotty, a farm labourer. Jimmy Mugge, a farm labourer. Simon Mugge, a farm labourer. Jim Vamp, the village chimney SAveep. Dick Moon, Avorkcd for Airs Crust. Tom Shoesmith, Avorked for Airs Trott. Bill Skibber, a bee expert. Captain Barker, E.N., brother to Lady Bungay. Mr Ricketts, a retired grocer from Hoxton, East London. Old Tandy, a countryman. Snippetts, the owner of shop and post office. Dorrs, former owner of Mil hurst Park. Messrs Down, Hill and Kerr, of Lincoln Fields, solicitors to the Dorrs. Characters (Female). Mrs Maloney, Rector’s Avifo. Mrs Smythe, Vicar’s wife. Mrs Trott, Avidow of Colonel Trott, D.S. Mrs Crust, a grass AvidoAV. The Misses Chattertons, of the Brook. Mrs Pinclier, a dm r worn an. Mrs Moon, a charwoman. Mrs Dovecote, a fanners Avifo. Mass Pussy Slipper, schoolmistress. Miss Sukie Trifle, played the church organ. Mrs Captain Barker, belonged to a county family.