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2. Parameter Mystery
At the bottom of the page, write the output produced by the following program.

def main():
x = "happy"
y = "pumpkin"
z = "orange"
pumpkin = "sleepy"
orange = "vampire"

orange(y, x, z)
orange(x, z, y)
orange(pumpkin, z, "y")
z = "green"
orange("x", "pumpkin", z)
orange(y, z, orange)

def orange(z, y, x):

print(y + " and " + z + " were " + x)

2 of 23
3. If/Else Simulation
For each call of the function below, write the value that is returned:

def mystery(n):
if (n < 0):
n = n * 3
return n
else:
n = n + 3
if (n % 2 == 1):
n = n + n % 10
return n

Function Call Value Returned

mystery(-5) _______________________________

mystery(0) _______________________________

mystery(7) _______________________________

mystery(18) _______________________________

mystery(49) _______________________________

3 of 23
4. Programming
Write a function named month_apart that accepts four integer parameters representing two calendar dates. Each
date consists of a month (1 through 12) and a day (1 through the number of days in that month [28-31]). Assume that
all dates occur during the same year. The method returns whether the dates are at least a month apart. For example,
the following dates are all considered to be at least a month apart from 9/19 (September 19): 2/14, 7/25, 8/2, 8/19,
10/19, 10/20, and 11/5. The following dates are NOT at least a month apart from 9/19: 9/20, 9/28, 10/1, 10/15,
and 10/18. Note that the first date could come before or after (or be the same as) the second date. Assume that all
parameter values passed are valid.

Sample calls:

month_apart( 6, 14, 9, 21) should return True, because June 14 is at least a month before September 21
month_apart( 4, 5, 5, 15) should return True, because April 5 is at least a month before May 15
month_apart( 4, 15, 5, 15) should return True, because April 15 is at least a month before May 15
month_apart( 4, 16, 5, 15) should return False, because April 16 isn't at least a month apart from May 15
month_apart( 6, 14, 6, 8) should return False, because June 14 isn't at least a month apart from June 8
month_apart( 7, 7, 6, 8) should return False, because July 7 isn't at least a month apart from June 8
month_apart( 7, 8, 6, 8) should return True, because July 8 is at least a month after June 8
month_apart(10, 14, 7, 15) should return True, because October 14 is at least a month after July 15

4 of 23
5. Programming
Write a function named print_grid that accepts two integer parameters rows and cols. The output is a comma-
separated grid of numbers where the first parameter (rows) represents the number of rows of the grid and the second
parameter (cols) represents the number of columns. The numbers count up from 1 to (rows x cols). The output are
displayed in column-major order, meaning that the numbers shown increase sequentially down each column and wrap
to the top of the next column to the right once the bottom of the current column is reached.

Assume that rows and cols are greater than 0. Here are some example calls to your function and their expected
results:

Call print_grid(3, 6) print_grid(5, 3) print_grid(4, 1) print_grid(1, 3)

Output 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16 1, 6, 11 1 1, 2, 3

2, 5, 8, 11, 14, 17 2, 7, 12 2
3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18 3, 8, 13 3
4, 9, 14 4
5, 10, 15

5 of 23
6. Programming
Write a function named count_even_digits that accepts two integers as parameters and returns the number of
even-valued digits in the first number. An even-valued digit is either 0, 2, 4, 6, or 8. The second value represents how
many digits the number has. The second value is guaranteed to match the number of digits in the first number.

For example, the number 8546587 has four even digits (the two 8s, the 4, and the 6),
so the call count_even_digits(8346387, 7) should return 4.

You may assume that the values passed to your function are non-negative.

6 of 23
 Midterm Exam 1, Sample 1 Solutions

1. Expressions
Expression Value
8 + 5 * 3 / 2 15.5
1.5 * 4 * 7 // 8 + 3.4 8.4
73 % 10 - 6 % 10 + 28 % 3 -2
4 + 1 + 9 + (-3 + 10) + 11 // 3 24
3 // 14 // 7 / (1.0 * 2) + 10 // 6 1.0
10 > 11 == 4 / 3 > 1 False
not (2 >= 11 or 10 < 67 or 4 / 4 >= 1) False
(True or not 2 < 3) and 6 == 4 / 3 False

2. Parameter Mystery
happy and pumpkin were orange
orange and happy were pumpkin
orange and sleepy were y
pumpkin and x were green
green and pumpkin were vampire

3. If/Else Simulation

Function Call Value Returned

mystery(-5) -15
mystery(0) 6
mystery(7) 10
mystery(18) 22
mystery(49) 52

4. Programming (four solutions shown)

def month_apart(m1, d1, m2, d2):
if (m1 == m2):
return False
elif (m1 <= m2 - 2):
return True
elif (m1 >= m2 + 2):
return True
elif (m1 == m2 - 1):
if (d1 <= d2):
return True
else:
return False
elif (m1 == m2 + 1):
if (d1 >= d2):
return True
else:
return False
else:
return False

def month_apart(m1, d1, m2, d2):

if (m1 < m2 - 1 or m1 > m2 + 1):
return True
elif (m1 == m2 - 1 and d1 <= d2):
return True
elif (m1 == m2 + 1 and d1 >= d2):
return True
else:
return False

7 of 23
 def month_apart(m1, d1, m2, d2):
return (m2 - m1 > 1) or (m1 - m2 > 1) or
(m2 - m1 == 1 and d1 <= d2) or
(m1 - m2 == 1 and d1 >= d2)

def month_apart(m1, d1, m2, d2):

return abs((m1 * 31 + d1) - (m2 * 31 + d2)) >= 31

5. Programming (two solutions shown)

def print_grid(rows, cols):
for i in range(1, rows + 1):
print(i, end=’’)
for j in range(1, cols):
print(", " + str(i + rows * j), end=’’)
print()

def print_grid(rows, cols):

for i in range(1, rows + 1):
for for j in range(1, cols):
print(str(i + rows * j) + ", ", end=’’)
print(i + rows * (cols - 1))

6. Programming
def count_even_digits(n, length):
count = 0
for i in range(0,length):
digit = n % 10
n = n // 10
if (digit % 2 == 0):
count += 1

return count

Midterm 2 Sample 1
1. List Mystery
Consider the following function:

def list_mystery(list):
int x = 0
for i in range(0, len(list) - 1):
if (list[i] > list[i + 1]):
x += 1
return x

In the left-hand column below are specific lists of integers. Indicate in the right-hand column what value would be
returned by function list_mystery if the integer list in the left-hand column is passed as its parameter.

Original Contents of List Value Returned

a1 = [8]
result1 = list_mystery(a1) _____________________________

a2 = [14, 7]
result2 = list_mystery(a2) _____________________________

8 of 23
a3 = [7, 1, 3, 2, 0, 4]
result3 = list_mystery(a3) _____________________________

a4 = [10, 8, 9, 5, 6]
result4 = list_mystery(a4) _____________________________

a5 = [8, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2]
result5 = list_mystery(a5) _____________________________

9 of 23
2. Reference Semantics Mystery
The following program produces 4 lines of output. Write the output below, as it would appear on the console.

def main():
y = 1
x = 3
a = [0] * 4

mystery(a, y, x)
print(str(x) + " " + str(y) + " " + str(a))

x = y - 1
mystery(a, y, x)
print(str(x) + " " + str(y) + " " + str(a))

def mystery(a, x, y):

if (x < y):
x += 1
a[x] = 17
else:
a[y] = 17
print(str(x) + " " + str(y) + " " + str(a))

10 of 23
3. Assertions
For the following function, identify each of the three assertions in the table below as being either ALWAYS true,
NEVER true or SOMETIMES true / sometimes false at each labeled point in the code. You may abbreviate these
choices as A/N/S respectively.

def mystery():
y = 0
z = 1
next = input()

# Point A
while (next >= 0):
# Point B
if (y > z):
# Point C
z = y
y += 1
next = input()
# Point D

# Point E
return z

next < 0 y > z y == 0

Point A
Point B
Point C
Point D
Point E

11 of 23
4. File Processing
Write a function named word_stats that accepts as its parameter the name of a file that contains a sequence of
words and that reports the total number of words (as an integer) and the average word length (as an un-rounded real
number). For example, suppose file contains the following words:

To be or not to be, that is the question.

For the purposes of this problem, we will use whitespace to separate words. That means that some words include
punctuation, as in "be,". For the input above, your function should produce exactly the following output:

Total words = 10
Average length = 3.2

12 of 23
6. List Programming
Write a function named min_gap that accepts an integer list as a parameter and returns the minimum 'gap' between
adjacent values in the list. The gap between two adjacent values in a list is defined as the second value minus the first
value. For example, suppose a variable called list is a list of integers that stores the following sequence of values.

list = [1, 3, 6, 7, 12]

The first gap is 2 (3 - 1), the second gap is 3 (6 - 3), the third gap is 1 (7 - 6) and the fourth gap is 5 (12 - 7). Thus, the
call of min_gap(list) should return 1 because that is the smallest gap in the list. Notice that the minimum gap
could be a negative number. For example, if list stores the following sequence of values:

[3, 5, 11, 4, 8]

The gaps would be computed as 2 (5 - 3), 6 (11 - 5), -7 (4 - 11), and 4 (8 - 4). Of these values, -7 is the smallest, so it
would be returned.

This gap information can be helpful for determining other properties of the list. For example, if the minimum gap is
greater than or equal to 0, then you know the array is in sorted (nondecreasing) order. If the gap is greater than 0, then
you know the list is both sorted and unique (strictly increasing).

If you are passed an list with fewer than 2 elements, you should return 0.

13 of 23
6. Programming
Write a function named longest_sorted_equence that accepts a list of integers as a parameter and that returns the
length of the longest sorted (nondecreasing) sequence of integers in the list. For example, if a variable named list
stores the following values:

List = [3, 8, 10, 1, 9, 14, -3, 0, 14, 207, 56, 98, 12]

then the call of longest_sorted_sequence(list) should return 4 because the longest sorted sequence in the
array has four values in it (the sequence -3, 0, 14, 207). Notice that sorted means nondecreasing, which means that
the sequence could contain duplicates. For example, if the list stores the following values:

list2 = [17, 42, 3, 5, 5, 5, 8, 2, 4, 6, 1, 19]

Then the function would return 5 for the length of the longest sequence (the sequence 3, 5, 5, 5, 8). Your function
should return 0 if passed an empty list. Your function should return 1 if passed a list that is entirely in decreasing
order or contains only one element.

Midterm 2 Sample 1 Solutions

1.

Call Value Returned

a1 = [8]
result1 = list_mystery (a1) 0

a2 = [14, 7]
result2 = list_mystery (a2) 1

a3 = [7, 1, 3, 2, 0, 4]
result3 = list_mystery (a3) 3

a4 = [10, 8, 9, 5, 6]
result4 = list_mystery (a4) 2

a5 = [8, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2]
result5 = list_mystery (a5) 4

2.
2 3 [0, 0, 17, 0]
3 1 [0, 0, 17, 0]
1 0 [17, 0, 17, 0]
0 1 [17, 0, 17, 0]

3.
next < 0 y > z y == 0
Point A SOMETIMES NEVER ALWAYS
Point B NEVER SOMETIMES SOMETIMES

14 of 23
 Point C NEVER ALWAYS NEVER
Point D SOMETIMES SOMETIMES NEVER
Point E ALWAYS SOMETIMES SOMETIMES

4.
def word_stats(file_name):
words = open(file_name).read().split()
count = 0
sum_length = 0

for word in words:

count += 1
sum_length += len(word)
average = sum_length / count
print("Total words = " + str(count))
print("Average length = " + str(average))

5.
def min_gap(list):
if (len(list) < 2):
return 0
else:
min = list[1] - list[0]
for i in range(2, len(list)):
gap = list[i] - list[i - 1]
if (gap < min):
min = gap
return min

6.
def longest_sorted_sequence(list):
if (len(list) == 0):
return 0

max = 1
count = 1
for i in range(1, len(list)):
if (list[i] >= list[i - 1]):
count += 1
else:
count = 1

if (count > max):

max = count
return max

15 of 23
 Final Sample 1
1. While Loop Simulation
For each call of the function below, write the output that is printed:

def mystery(i, j):

while (i != 0 and j != 0):
i = i // j
j = (j - 1) // 2
print(str(i) + " " + str(j) + " ", end='')
print(i)

Function Call Output

mystery(5, 0) _______________________________

mystery(3, 2) _______________________________

mystery(16, 5) _______________________________

mystery(80, 9) _______________________________

mystery(1600, 40) _______________________________

16 of 23
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Yes, my pets, I am tired of talking to these workmen, who never answer a
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the qualified aspiration was on the bachelor’s side). Here you have got all
you want, I hope!—liberty enough, it seems—if only the courtyard were
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highest, or the lowest, respectability; rights of women generally claimed,
you perceive; and obtained without opposition from absurdly religious,
moral, or chivalric persons. You have got no God, now, to bid you do
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(and much of it they got, in the old times—didn’t they?)—no pain nor peril
of childbirth;—no bringing up of tiresome brats. Here is an entirely
scientific occupation for you! Such a beautiful invention this of Mr.
Wheatstone’s! and I hope you all understand the relations of positive and
negative electricity. Now you may “communicate intelligence” by
telegraph. Those wretched girls that used to write love-letters, of which
their foolish lovers would count the words, and sometimes be thankful for
—less than twenty—how they would envy you if they knew. Only the worst
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won’t feed people in the long run, my dears, any more than the old
invention of the tongue, for talking near, and you’ll soon begin to think that
was not so bad a one, after all. But you can’t live by talking, though you
talk in the scientificalest of manners, and to the other side of the world. All
the telegraph wire over the earth and under the sea, will not do so much for
you, my poor little qualified aspirants, as one strong needle with thimble
and thread.

You do sometimes read a novel still, don’t you, my scientific dears? I wish I
could write one; but I can’t; and George Eliot always makes them end so
wretchedly that they’re worse than none—so she’s no good, neither. I must
even translate a foreign novelette or nouvelette, which is to my purpose,
next month; meantime I have chanced on a little true story, in the journal of
an Englishman, travelling, before the Revolution, in France, which shows
you something of the temper of the poor unscientific girls of that day. Here
are first, however, a little picture or two which he gives in the streets of
Paris, and which I want all my readers to see; they mark, what most
Englishmen do not know, that the beginning of the French Revolution, with
what of good or evil it had, was in English, not French, notions of “justice”
and “liberty.” The writer is travelling with a friend, Mr. B——, who is of
the Liberal school, and, “He and I went this forenoon to a review of the
foot-guards, by Marshal Biron. There was a crowd, and we could with
difficulty get within the circle, so as to see conveniently. An old officer of
high rank touched some people who stood before us, saying, ‘Ces deux
Messieurs sont des étrangers;’ upon which they immediately made way, and
allowed us to pass. ‘Don’t you think that was very obliging?’ said I. ‘Yes,’
answered he; ‘but by heavens, it was very unjust.’

“We returned by the Boulevards, where crowds of citizens, in their holiday

dresses, were making merry; the young dancing cotillons, the old beating
time to the music, and applauding the dancers. ‘These people seem very
happy,’ said I. ‘Happy!’ exclaimed B——; ‘if they had common sense, or
reflection, they would be miserable.’ ‘Why so?’ ‘Could not the minister,’
answered he, ‘pick out half-a-dozen of them if he pleased, and clap them
into the Bicêtre?’ ‘That is true, indeed,’ said I; ‘that is a catastrophe which,
to be sure, may very probably happen, and yet I thought no more of it than
they.’

“We met, a few days after he arrived, at a French house where we had been
both invited to dinner. There was an old lady of quality present, next to
whom a young officer was seated, who paid her the utmost attention. He
helped her to the dishes she liked, filled her glass with wine or water, and
addressed his discourse particularly to her. ‘What a fool,’ says B——, ‘does
that young fellow make of the poor old woman! if she were my mother, d—
n me, if I would not call him to an account for it.’

“Though B—— understands French, and speaks it better than most

Englishmen, he had no relish for the conversation, soon left the company,
and has refused all invitations to dinner ever since. He generally finds some
of our countrymen, who dine and pass the evening with him at the Parc
Royal.
“After the review this day, we continued together, and being both
disengaged, I proposed, by way of variety, to dine at the public ordinary of
the Hôtel de Bourbon. He did not like this much at first. ‘I shall be teased,’
says he, ‘with their confounded ceremony;’ but on my observing that we
could not expect much ceremony or politeness at a public ordinary, he
agreed to go.

“Our entertainment turned out different, however, from my expectations

and his wishes. A marked attention was paid us the moment we entered;
everybody seemed inclined to accommodate us with the best places. They
helped us first, and all the company seemed ready to sacrifice every
convenience and distinction to the strangers; for, next to that of a lady, the
most respected character at Paris is that of a stranger.

“After dinner, B—— and I walked into the gardens of the Palais Royal.

“ ‘There was nothing real in all the fuss those people made about us,’ says
he.

“ ‘I can’t help thinking it something,’ said I, ‘to be treated with civility and
apparent kindness in a foreign country, by strangers who know nothing
about us, but that we are Englishmen, and often their enemies.’ ”

So much for the behaviour of old Paris. Now for our country story. I will
not translate the small bits of French in it; my most entirely English readers
can easily find out what they mean, and they must gather what moral they
may from it, till next month, for I have no space to comment on it in this
letter.

“My friend F—— called on me a few days since, and as soon as he

understood that I had no particular engagement, he insisted that I should
drive somewhere into the country, dine tête-à-tête with him, and return in
time for the play.

“When we had driven a few miles, I perceived a genteel-looking young

fellow, dressed in an old uniform. He sat under a tree on the grass, at a little
distance from the road, and amused himself by playing on the violin. As we
came nearer we perceived he had a wooden leg, part of which lay in
fragments by his side.

“ ‘What do you do there, soldier?’ said the Marquis. ‘I am on my way home

to my own village, mon officier,’ said the soldier. ‘But, my poor friend,’
resumed the Marquis, ‘you will be a furious long time before you arrive at
your journey’s end, if you have no other carriage besides these,’ pointing at
the fragments of his wooden leg. ‘I wait for my equipage and all my suite,’
said the soldier, ‘and I am greatly mistaken if I do not see them this moment
coming down the hill.’

“We saw a kind of cart, drawn by one horse, in which was a woman, and a
peasant who drove the horse. While they drew near, the soldier told us he
had been wounded in Corsica—that his leg had been cut off—that before
setting out on that expedition, he had been contracted to a young woman in
the neighbourhood—that the marriage had been postponed till his return;—
but when he appeared with a wooden leg, that all the girl’s relations had
opposed the match. The girl’s mother, who was her only surviving parent
when he began his courtship, had always been his friend; but she had died
while he was abroad. The young woman herself, however, remained
constant in her affections, received him with open arms, and had agreed to
leave her relations, and accompany him to Paris, from whence they
intended to set out in the diligence to the town where he was born, and
where his father still lived. That on the way to Paris his wooden leg had
snapped, which had obliged his mistress to leave him, and go to the next
village in quest of a cart to carry him thither, where he would remain till
such time as the carpenter should renew his leg. ‘C’est un malheur,’
concluded the soldier, ‘mon officier, bientôt reparé—et voici mon amie!’

“The girl sprung before the cart, seized the outstretched hand of her lover,
and told him, with a smile full of affection, that she had seen an admirable
carpenter, who had promised to make a leg that would not break, that it
would be ready by to-morrow, and they might resume their journey as soon
after as they pleased.

“The soldier received his mistress’s compliment as it deserved.

“She seemed about twenty years of age, a beautiful, fine-shaped girl—a
brunette, whose countenance indicated sentiment and vivacity.

“ ‘You must be much fatigued, my dear,’ said the Marquis. ‘On ne se fatigue
pas, Monsieur, quand on travaille pour ce qu’on aime,’ replied the girl. The
soldier kissed her hand with a gallant and tender air. ‘Allons,’ continued the
Marquis, addressing himself to me; ‘this girl is quite charming—her lover
has the appearance of a brave fellow; they have but three legs betwixt them,
and we have four;—if you have no objection, they shall have the carriage,
and we will follow on foot to the next village, and see what can be done for
these lovers.’ I never agreed to a proposal with more pleasure in my life.

“The soldier began to make difficulties about entering into the vis-à-vis.
‘Come, come, friend,’ said the Marquis, ‘I am a colonel, and it is your duty
to obey: get in without more ado, and your mistress shall follow.’

“ ‘Entrons, mon bon ami,’ said the girl, ‘since these gentlemen insist upon
doing us so much honour.’

“ ‘A girl like you would do honour to the finest coach in France. Nothing
could please me more than to have it in my power to make you happy,’ said
the Marquis. ‘Laissez-moi faire, mon colonel,’ said the soldier. ‘Je suis
heureuse comme une reine,’ said Fanchon. Away moved the chaise, and the
Marquis and I followed.

“ ‘Voyez vous, combien nous sommes heureux nous autres François, à bon
marché,’ said the Marquis to me, adding with a smile, ‘le bonheur, à ce
qu’on m’a dit, est plus cher en Angleterre.’ ‘But,’ answered I, ‘how long
will this last with these poor people?’ ‘Ah, pour le coup,’ said he, ‘voilà une
réflexion bien Angloise;’—that, indeed, is what I cannot tell; neither do I
know how long you or I may live; but I fancy it would be great folly to be
sorrowful through life, because we do not know how soon misfortunes may
come, and because we are quite certain that death is to come at last.

“When we arrived at the inn to which we had ordered the postillion to drive,
we found the soldier and Fanchon. After having ordered some victuals and
wine, ‘Pray,’ said I to the soldier, ‘how do you propose to maintain your
wife and yourself?’ ‘One who has contrived to live for five years on
soldier’s pay,’ replied he, ‘can have little difficulty for the rest of his life. I
can play tolerably well on the fiddle,’ added he, ‘and perhaps there is not a
village in all France of the size, where there are so many marriages as in
that in which we are going to settle; I shall never want employment.’ ‘And
I,’ said Fanchon, ‘can weave hair nets and silk purses, and mend stockings.
Besides, my uncle has two hundred livres of mine in his hands, and
although he is brother-in-law to the bailiff, and volontiers brutal, yet I will
make him pay it every sous.’ ‘And I,’ said the soldier, ‘have fifteen livres in
my pocket, besides two louis that I have lent to a poor farmer to enable him
to pay taxes, and which he will repay me when he is able.’

“ ‘You see, Sir,’ said Fanchon to me, ‘that we are not objects of compassion.
May we not be happy, my good friend (turning to her lover with a look of
exquisite tenderness), if it be not our own fault?’ ‘If you are not, ma douce
amie!’ said the soldier with great warmth, ‘je serai bien à plaindre.’ ”

NOTES AND CORRESPONDENCE.

As the circulation of “Fors” increases, the correspondence connected with it

must of course, and that within no long time, become unmanageable, except
by briefest reference to necessary points in letters of real value; many even
of such may not be acknowledged, except with the general thanks which I
render in advance to all who write either with the definite purpose of
helping me, or of asking explanation of what I have said.

A letter of great interest has thus lain by me since Christmas, though the
writer would know I had received it by my instant use of the book he told
me of,—Professor Kirk’s. With reference to the statements therein made
respecting the robbing of the poor by the rich, through temptation of drink,
the letter goes on:—
 “But to my mind the enquiry does not reach deep enough. I would know, first,
why it is that the workers have so little control over their appetites in this
direction? (a) and what the remedy? secondly, why is it that those who wish to
drain the working men are permitted to govern them? (b) and what the remedy?
(c)

“The answers to each question will, I think, be found to be nearly related.

“The possibility of a watchful and exacting, yet respected, government within a

government, is well shown by the existence and discipline of the Society of
Friends, of which I am a member. Our society is, no doubt, greatly injured by
narrow views of religious truth; yet may it not be that their change from an
agricultural to a trading people has done the most to sap the vital strength of their
early days? But the tree is not without good fruit yet. A day or two ago the
following sentence was extracted by me from a newspaper notice of the death of
Robert Charleton, of Bristol:—

“ ‘In him the poor and needy, the oppressed, the fallen and friendless, and the
lonely sufferer, ever had a tender and faithful friend. When in trade, he was one of
the best employers England could boast. He lived for his people, rather than
expected them to live for him; and when he did not derive one penny profit from
his factory, but rather lost by it, he still kept the business going, for the sake of his
work-people’ ” (d).

The answers to my correspondent’s questions are very simple (a) The

workers have in general much more control over their appetites than idle
people. But as they are for the most part hindered by their occupation from
all rational, and from the best domestic, pleasures, and as manual work
naturally makes people thirsty, what can they do but drink? Intoxication is
the only Heaven that, practically, Christian England ever displays to them.
But see my statements on this point in the fourth lecture in the “Crown of
Wild Olive,” when I get it out; (the unfinished notes on Frederick keeping it
back a while). (b) Because, as the working men have been for the last fifty
years taught that one man is as good as another, they never think of looking
for a good man to govern them; and only those who intend to pillage or
cheat them will ever come forward of their own accord to govern them; or
can succeed in doing so, because as long as they trust in their own sagacity,
any knave can humbug them to the top of his bent; while no wise man can
teach them anything whatever, contrary to their immediate notions. And the
distrust in themselves, which would make them look for a real leader, and
believe him, is the last sensation likely to occur to them at present; (see my
republican correspondent’s observations on election, in the next letter.) (c)
My correspondent twice asks what is the remedy? I believe none, now, but
the natural one;—namely, some of the forms of ruin which necessarily cut a
nation of blockheads down to the ground, and leave it, thence to sprout
again, if there be any life left for it in the earth, or lesson teachable to it by
adversity. But, through whatever catastrophes, for any man who cares for
the right and sees it, his own duty in the wreck is always clear—to keep
himself cool and fearless, and do what is instantly serviceable to the people
nearest him, and the best he can, silently, for all. Cotton in one’s ears may
be necessary—for we are like soon to have screaming enough in England,
as in the wreck of the Northfleet, if that would do any good. (d) Yes, that is
all very fine; but suppose that keeping useless work going on, for the sake
of the work-people, be not the wisest thing to do for the sake of other
people? Of this hereafter. The sentence respecting the corrupting power of
trade, as opposed to agriculture, is certainly right, and very notable.

Perhaps some of my readers may be surprised at my giving space to the

following comments of my inquisitive Republican acquaintance on my
endeavours to answer his questions. But they are so characteristic of the
genius of Republicanism, that I esteem them quite one of the best gifts of
the Third “Fors” to us: also, the writer is sincere, and might think, if I did
not print his answers, that I treated him unfairly. I may afterwards take note
of some points in them, but have no time this month.

“We are all covetous. I am ravenously covetous of the means to speak in such
type and on such paper as you can buy the use of. ‘Oh that mine enemy would’
give me the means of employing such a printer as you can employ!” (Certainly, he
could do nothing worse for you!)

“I find you have published my questions, and your criticism thereon. I thank you
for your ‘good-will to man,’ but protest against the levity of your method of
dealing with politics.

“You assume that you understand me, and that I don’t understand myself or you. I
fully admit that I don’t understand you or myself, and I declare that neither do you
understand me. But I will pass hyper-criticism (and, by-the-by, I am not sure that I
know what that compound word means; you will know, of course, for me) and
tackle your ‘Answers.’

“1. You evade the meaning—the question,—for I cannot think you mean that the
‘world’ or an ‘ocean,’ can be rightfully regarded by legislators as the private
property of ‘individuals.’

“2. ‘It never was, and never can be.’ The price of a cocoa-nut was the cost of
labour in climbing the tree; the climber ate the nut.

“3. What do you understand by a ‘tax’? The penny paid for the conveyance of a
letter is not a tax. Lord Somebody says I must perish of hunger, or pay him for
permission to dig in the land on which I was born. He taxes me that he may live
without labouring, and do you say ‘of course,’ ‘quite rightfully’?

“4. ?

“5. You may choose a pig or horse for yourself, but I claim the right of choosing
mine, even though you know that you could choose better animals for me. By
your system, if logically carried out, we should have no elections, but should have
an emperor of the world,—the man who knew himself to be the most intelligent
of all. I suppose you should be allowed to vote? It is somebody else who must
have no political voice? Where do you draw the line? Just below John Ruskin?2 Is
a man so little and his polish so much? Men and women must vote, or must not
submit. I have bought but little of the polish sold at schools; but, ignorant as I am,
I would not yield as the ‘subject’ of thirty million Ruskins, or of the king they
might elect without consulting me. You did not let either your brain or your heart
speak when you answered that question.

“6. ‘Beneficial.’ I claim the right of personal judgment, and I would grant the
exercise of that right to every man and woman.

“7. ‘Untrue.’ Untrue. Lord Somebody consumes, with the aid of a hundred men
and women, whom he keeps from productive industry, as much as would suffice
to maintain a hundred families. A hundred—yes, a thousand navvies.
‘Destroying’? Did you forget that so many admirals, generals, colonels, and
captains, were your law-makers? Are they not professional destroyers? I could fill
your pages with a list of other destructive employments of your legislators.

“8. Has the tax gatherer too busy a time of it to attend to the duties added by the
establishment of a National Post Office? We remove a thousand toll-bars, and
 collect the assessment annually with economy. We eat now, and are poisoned, and
pay dearly. The buyers and sellers of bread ‘have a busy time of it.’

“9. Thank you for the straightforwardness. But I find you ask me what I mean by
a ‘State.’ I meant it as you accepted it, and did not think it economical to bother
you or myself with a page of incomplete definitions.

“10. ‘See Munera Pulveris!’ And, ye ‘workmen and labourers,’ go and consult the
Emperor of China.

“You speak of a king who killed ‘without wrath, and without doubting his
rightness,’ and of a collier who killed with ‘consciousness.’ Glorious, ignorant
brute of a king! Degraded, enlightened collier! It is enough to stimulate a patriot
to burn all the colleges and libraries. Much learning makes us ignoble! No! it is
the much labour and the bad teaching of the labourer by those who never earned
their food by the sweat of their own brow.”

1 My dear friend, I can’t bear to interrupt your pretty letter; but, indeed, one should not
worship God on one day more, or less, than on another; and one should rest when one
needs rest, whether on Sunday or Saturday. ↑
2 My correspondent will perhaps be surprised to hear that I have never in my life voted
for any candidate for Parliament, and that I never mean to. ↑
FORS CLAVIGERA.
 LETTER XXX.

Brantwood, April 19, 1873.

On the thirteenth shelf of the south bookcase of my home-library, stand,

first, Kenelm Digby’s ‘Broad Stone of Honour,’ then in five volumes,
bound in red, the ‘History of the Ingenious Gentleman, Don Quixote of La
Mancha;’ and then, in one volume, bound in green, a story no less pathetic,
called the ‘Mirror of Peasants.’

Its author does not mean the word ‘mirror’ to be understood in the sense in
which one would call Don Quixote the ‘Mirror of Chivalry;’ but in that of a
glass in which a man—beholding his natural heart—may know also the
hearts of other men, as, in a glass, face answers to face.

The author of this story was a clergyman; but employed the greater part of
his day in writing novels, having a gift for that species of composition as
well as for sermons, and observing, though he gave both excellent in their
kind, that his congregation liked their sermons to be short, and his readers,
their novels to be long.

Among them, however, were also many tiny novelettes, of which, young
ladies, I to-day begin translating for you one of the shortest; hoping that you
will not think the worse of it for being written by a clergyman. Of this
author I will only say, that, though I am not prejudiced in favour of persons
of his profession, I think him the wisest man, take him all in all, with whose
writings I am acquainted; chiefly because he showed his wisdom in pleasant
and unappalling ways; as, for instance, by keeping, for the chief ornament
of his study (not being able to afford expensive books), one book
beautifully bound, and shining with magnificence of golden embossing; this
book of books being his register, out of which he read, from the height of
his pulpit, the promises of marriage. “Dans lequel il lisait, du haut de la
chaire, les promesses de mariage.”
He rose always early; breakfasted himself at six o’clock; and then got ready
with his own hands the family breakfast, liking his servants better to be at
work out of doors: wrote till eleven, dined at twelve, and spent the
afternoon in his parish work, or in his fields, being a farmer of shrewdest
and most practical skill; and through the Sundays of fifteen years, never
once was absent from his pulpit.

And now, before I begin my little story, which is a translation of a

translation, for the original is German, and I can only read French, I must
say a few serious words as to the sense in which I wish you to receive what
religious instruction this romantic clergyman may sometimes mingle with
his romance. He is an Evangelical divine of the purest type. It is therefore
primarily for my Evangelical readers that I translate this or others of his
tales; and if they have read either former letters of ‘Fors,’ or any of my later
books, they must know that I do not myself believe in Evangelical theology.
But I shall, with my best care, represent and enforce this clergyman’s
teaching to my said Evangelical readers, exactly as I should feel it my duty,
if I were talking to a faithful Turk, to represent and enforce to him any
passage of the Koran which was beyond all question true, in its reference to
practical light; and with the bearings of which I was more familiar than he.
For I think that our common prayer that God “would take away all
ignorance, hardness of heart, and contempt of His word, from all Jews,
Turks, infidels, and heretics,” is an entirely absurd one. I do not think all
Jews have hard hearts; nor that all infidels would despise God’s word, if
only they could hear it; nor do I in the least know whether it is my
neighbour or myself who is really the heretic. But I pray that prayer for
myself as well as others; and in this form, that God would make all Jews
honest Jews, all Turks honest Turks, all infidels honest infidels, and all
Evangelicals and heretics honest Evangelicals and heretics; that so these
Israelites in whom there is no guile, Turks in whom there is no guile, and so
on, may in due time see the face, and know the power, of the King alike of
Israel and Esau. Now, therefore, young ladies, I beg you to understand that I
entirely sympathize with this Evangelical clergyman’s feelings because I
know him to be honest: also, that I give you of his teaching what is
universally true: and that you may get the more good from his story, I will
ask you first to consider with yourselves what St. James means by saying in
the eighth verse of his general Epistle, “Let the brother of low degree
rejoice in that he is exalted, but the rich in that he is made low;” and if you
find, as you generally will, if you think seriously over any verse of your
Bibles whatsoever, that you never have had, and are never likely to have,
the slightest idea what it means, perhaps you will permit me to propose the
following explanation to you. That while both rich and poor are to be
content to remain in their several states, gaining only by the due and natural
bettering of an honest man’s settled life; if, nevertheless, any chance should
occur to cause sudden difference in either of their positions, the poor man
might wisely desire that it should be some relief from the immediate
pressure of poverty, while the rich should esteem it the surest sign of God’s
favour, if, without fault of his own, he were forced to know the pain of a
lower condition.

I have noticed, in ‘Sesame and Lilies,’ § 2, the frantic fear of the ordinary
British public, lest they should fall below their proper “station in life.” It
appears that almost the only real sense of duty remaining now in the British
conscience is a passionate belief in the propriety of keeping up an
appearance; no matter if on other people’s money, so only that there be no
signs of their coming down in the world.

I should be very glad therefore if any of my young lady readers, who

consider themselves religious persons, would inform me whether they are
satisfied with my interpretation of the text; and if so, then how far they
would consent, without complaining, to let God humble them, if He wished
to? If, for instance, they would, without pouting, allow Him to have His
way, even to the point of forcing them to gain their bread by some menial
service,—as, suppose, a housemaid’s; and whether they would feel
aggrieved at being made lower housemaid instead of upper. If they have
read their Bible to so good purpose as not to care which, I hope the
following story may not be thought wholly beneath their attention;
concerning, as it does, the housemaid’s principal implement; or what
(supposing her a member of St. George’s Company) we may properly call
her spear, or weapon of noble war.

THE BROOM MERCHANT.

Brooms are, as we know, among the imperious necessities of the epoch; and
in every household, there are many needful articles of the kind which must
be provided from day to day, or week to week; and which one accordingly
finds, everywhere, persons glad to supply. But we pay daily less and less
attention to these kindly disposed persons, since we have been able to get
the articles at their lowest possible price.

Formerly it was not thus. The broom merchant, the egg merchant, the sand
and rottenstone merchant, were, so to speak, part of the family; one was
connected with them by very close links; one knew the day on which each
would arrive; and according to the degree of favour they were in, one kept
something nice for their dinner; and if, by any chance, they did not come to
their day, they excused themselves, next time, as for a very grave fault
indeed. They considered the houses which they supplied regularly, as the
stars of their heaven,—took all the pains in the world to serve them well,—
and, on quitting their trade for anything more dignified, did all they could to
be replaced either by their children, or by some cousin, or cousine. There
was thus a reciprocal bond of fidelity on one side, and of trust on the other,
which unhappily relaxes itself more and more every day, in the measure that
also family spirit disappears.

The broom merchant of Rychiswyl was a servant of this sort; he whom one
regrets now, so often at Berne,—whom everybody was so fond of at Thun!
The Saturday might sooner have been left out of the almanack, than the
broom-man not appear in Thun on the Saturday. He had not always been the
broom-man; for a long time he had only been the broom-boy; until, in the
end, the boy had boys of his own, who put themselves to push his cart for
him. His father, who had been a soldier, died early in life; the lad was then
very young, and his mother ailing. His elder sister had started in life many a
day before, barefoot, and had found a place in helping a woman who carried
pine-cones and turpentine to Berne. When she had won her spurs, that is to
say, shoes and stockings, she obtained advancement, and became a
governess of poultry, in a large farm near the town. Her mother and brother
were greatly proud of her, and never spoke but with respect of their pretty
Babeli. Hansli could not leave his mother, who had need of his help, to
fetch her wood, and the like. They lived on the love of God and good
people; but badly enough. One day, the farmer they lodged with says to
Hansli:

My lad, it seems to me you might try and earn something now; you are big
enough, and sharp enough.

I wish I could, said Hansli; but I don’t know how.

I know something you could do, said the farmer. Set to work to make
brooms; there are plenty of twigs on my willows. I only get them stolen as
it is; so they shall not cost you much. You shall make me two brooms a year
of them.1

Yes, that would be very fine and good, said Hansli; but where shall I learn
to make brooms?

Pardieu,2 there’s no such sorcery in the matter, said the farmer. I’ll take on
me the teaching of you; many a year now I’ve made all the brooms we use
on the farm myself, and I’ll back myself to make as good as are made;3
you’ll want few tools, and may use mine at first.

All which was accordingly done; and God’s blessing came on the doing of
it. Hansli took a fancy to the work; and the farmer was enchanted with
Hansli.

Don’t look so close;4 put all in that is needful, do the thing well, so as to
show people they may put confidence in you. Once get their trust, and your
business is done, said always the farmer,5 and Hansli obeyed him.

In the beginning, naturally, things did not go very fast, nevertheless he

placed6 what he could make; and as he became quicker in the making, the
sale increased in proportion. Soon, everybody said that no one had such
pretty brooms as the little merchant of Rychiswyl; and the better he
succeeded, the harder he worked. His mother visibly recovered liking for
life. Now the battle’s won, said she; as soon as one can gain one’s bread
honourably, one has the right to enjoy oneself, and what can one want
more! Always, from that time, she had, every day, as much as she liked to
eat; nay, even every day there remained something over for the next: and
she could have as much bread as she liked. Indeed, Hansli very often
brought her even a little white bread back from the town, whereupon7 how
happy did she not feel herself! and how she thanked God for having kept so
many good things for her old days.

On the contrary, now for a little while, Hansli was looking cross and
provoked. Soon he began actually to grumble. ‘Things could not go on
much longer that way; he could not put up with it.’ When the farmer at last
set himself to find out what that meant, Hansli declared to him that he had
too many brooms to carry, and could not carry them; and that even when the
miller took them on his cart, it was very inconvenient, and that he
absolutely wanted a cart of his own, but he hadn’t any money to buy one,
and didn’t know anybody who was likely to lend him any. You are a gaby,8
said the peasant. Look you, I won’t have you become one of those people
who think a thing’s done as soon as they’ve dreamt it. That’s the way one
spends one’s money to make the fish go into other people’s nets. You want
to buy a cart, do you? why don’t you make one yourself.

Hansli put himself,9 to stare at the farmer with his mouth open, and great
eyes.

Yes, make it yourself: you will manage it, if you make up your mind, went
on the farmer. You can chip wood well enough, and the wood won’t cost
you much—what I haven’t, another peasant will have; and there must be
old iron about, plenty, in the lumber-room. I believe there’s even an old cart
somewhere, which you can have to look at—or to use, if you like. Winter
will be here soon; set yourself to work, and by the spring all will be done,
and you won’t have spent a threepenny piece,10 for you may pay the smith
too, with brooms, or find a way of doing without him—who knows?

Hansli began to open his eyes again. I make a cart,—but how ever shall I,—
I never made one. Gaby, answered the farmer, one must make everything
once the first time. Take courage, and it’s half done. If people took courage
solidly, there are many now carrying the beggar’s wallet, who would have
money up to their ears, and good metal, too. Hansli was on the point of
asking if the peasant had lost his head. Nevertheless, he finished by biting at
the notion; and entering into it little by little, as a child into cold water. The
peasant came now and then to help him; and in spring the new cart was
ready, in such sort that on Easter Tuesday Hansli conducted it,11 for the first
time, to Berne, and the following Saturday to Thun, also for the first time.
The joy and pride that this new cart gave him, it is difficult to form anything
like a notion of. If anybody had proposed to give him the Easter ox for it,
that they had promenaded at Berne the evening before, and which weighed
well its twenty-five quintals, he wouldn’t have heard of such a thing. It
seemed to him that everybody stopped as they passed, to look at his cart;
and, whenever he got a chance, he put himself to explain at length what
advantages that cart had over every other cart that had yet been seen in the
world. He asserted very gravely that it went of itself, except only at the
hills; where it was necessary to give it a touch of the hand.12 A cookmaid
said to him that she would not have thought him so clever; and that if ever
she wanted a cart, she would give him her custom. That cookmaid, always,
afterwards, when she bought a fresh supply of brooms, had a present of two
little ones into the bargain, to sweep into the corners of the hearth with;
things which are very convenient for maids who like to have everything
clean even into the corners; and who always wash their cheeks to behind
their ears. It is true that maids of this sort are thin-sprinkled enough.13

From this moment, Hansli began to take good heart to his work: his cart
was for him his farm;14 he worked with real joy; and joy in getting anything
done is, compared to ill-humour, what a sharp hatchet is to a rusty one, in
cutting wood. The farmers of Rychiswyl were delighted with the boy. There
wasn’t one of them who didn’t say, ‘When you want twigs, you’ve only to
take them in my field; but don’t damage the trees, and think of the wife
sometimes; women use so many brooms in a year that the devil couldn’t
serve them.’ Hansli did not fail; also was he in great favour with all the
farm-mistresses. They never had been in the way of setting any money
aside for buying brooms; they ordered their husbands to provide them,15
but one knows how things go, that way. Men are often too lazy to make
shavings,16 how much less brooms!—aussi the women were often in a
perfect famine of brooms, and the peace of the household had greatly to
suffer for it. But now, Hansli was there before one had time to think; and it
was very seldom a paysanne17 was obliged to say to him, ‘Hansli, don’t
forget us, we’re at our last broom.’ Besides the convenience of this, Hansli’s
brooms were superb—very different from the wretched things which one’s
grumbling husband tied up loose, or as rough and ragged as if they had been
made of oat straw. Of course, in these houses, Hansli gave his brooms for
nothing; yet they were not the worst placed pieces of his stock; for, not to
speak of the twigs given him gratis, all the year round he was continually
getting little presents, in bread and milk, and such kinds of things, which a
paysanne has always under her hand, and which she gives without looking
too close. Also, rarely one churned butter without saying to him, Hansli, we
beat butter to-morrow; if you like to bring a pot, you shall have some of the
beaten.18

And as for fruit, he had more than he could eat of it; so that it could not fail,
things going on in this way, that Hans should prosper; being besides
thoroughly economical. If he spent as much as a batz on the day he went to
the town, it was the end of the world.19 In the morning, his mother took
care he had a good breakfast, after which he took also something in his
pocket, without counting that sometimes here, and sometimes there, one
gave him a morsel in the kitchens where he was well known; and finally he
didn’t imagine that he ought always to have something to eat, the moment
he had a mind to it.

I am very sorry, but find there’s no chance of my getting the romantic part
of my story rightly into this letter; so I must even leave it till August, for my
sketch of Scott’s early life is promised for July, and I must keep my word to
time more accurately than hitherto, else, as the letters increase in number, it
is too probable I may forget what I promised in them; not that I lose sight
even for a moment of my main purpose; but the contents of the letters being
absolutely as the Third Fors may order, she orders me here and there so fast
sometimes that I can’t hold the pace. This unlucky index, for example! It is
easy enough to make an index, as it is to make a broom of odds and ends, as
rough as oat straw; but to make an index tied up tight, and that will sweep
well into corners, isn’t so easy. Ill-tied or well, it shall positively be sent
with the July number (if I keep my health), and will be only six months late
then; so that it will have been finished in about a fourth of the time a lawyer
would have taken to provide any document for which there was a pressing
necessity.

In the meantime, compare the picture of country life in Switzerland, already

beginning to show itself in outline in our story of the broom-maker, with
this following account of the changes produced by recent trade in the
country life of the island of Jersey. It is given me by the correspondent who
directed me to Professor Kirk’s book; (see the notes in last letter,) and is in
every point of view of the highest value. Compare especially the operations
of the great universal law of supply and demand in the article of fruit, as
they affect the broom-boy, and my correspondent; and consider for
yourselves, how far that beautiful law may affect, in time to come, not your
pippins only, but also your cheese; and even at last your bread.

I give this letter large print; it is quite as important as anything I have

myself to say. The italics are mine.

Mont à l’Abbe, Jersey, April 17, 1873.

Dear Master,—The lesson I have gathered here in Jersey as to the practical

working of bodies of small land-owners, is that they have three arch-enemies to
their life and well-being. First, the covetousness that, for the sake of money-
increase, permits and seeks that great cities should drain the island of its life-
blood—their best men and their best food or means of food; secondly, love of
strong drink and tobacco; and thirdly, (for these two last are closely connected,)
want of true recreation.

The island is cut up into small properties or holdings, a very much larger
proportion of these being occupied and cultivated by the owners themselves than
is the case in England. Consequently, as I think, the poor do not suffer as much as
in England. Still the times have altered greatly for the worse within the memory
of every middle-aged resident, and the change has been wrought chiefly by the
regular and frequent communication with London and Paris, but more especially
the first, which in the matter of luxuries of the table, has a maw insatiable.20 Thus
the Jersey farmer finds that, by devoting his best labour and land to the raising of
potatoes sufficiently early to obtain a fancy price for them, very large money-
gains are sometimes obtained,—subject also to large risks; for spring frosts on the
one hand, and being outstripped by more venturous farmers on the other, are the
Jersey farmers’ Scylla and Charybdis.

Now for the results. Land, especially that with southern aspect, has increased
marvellously in price. Wages have also risen. In many employments nearly
doubled. Twenty years ago a carpenter obtained 1s. 8d. per day. Now he gets 3s.;
and field labourers’ wages have risen nearly as much in proportion. But food and
lodging have much more than doubled. Potatoes for ordinary consumption are
now from 2s. 6d. to 3s. 6d. per cabot (40 lb.); here I put out of court the early
potatoes, which bring, to those who are fortunate in the race, three times that
price. Fifteen years ago the regular price for the same quantity was from 5d. to 8d.
Butter is now 1s. 4d. per lb. Then it was 6d.; and milk of course has altered in the
same proportion. Fruit, which formerly could be had in lavish, nay, almost
fabulous abundance, is now dearer than in London. In fact I, who am essentially a
frugivorous animal, have found myself unable to indulge in it, and it is only at
very rare intervals to be found in any shape at my table. All work harder, and all
fare worse; but the poor specially so. The well-to-do possess a secret solace
denied to them. It is found in the ‘share market.’ I am told by one employed in a
banking-house and ‘finance’ business here, that it is quite wonderful how fond the
Jersey farmers are of Turkish bonds, Grecian and Spanish coupons. Shares in
mines seem also to find favour here. My friend in the banking-house tells me that
he was once induced to try his fortune in that way. To be cautious, he invested in
four different mines. It was perhaps fortunate for him that he never received a
penny of his money back from any one of the four.

Another mode by which the earnings of the saving and industrious Jerseyman find
their way back to London or Paris is the uncalculated, but not unfrequent, advent
of a spendthrift among the heirs of the family. I am told that the landlord of the
house I live in is of this stamp, and that two years more of the same rate of
expenditure at Paris that he now uses, will bring him to the end of his patrimony.

But what of the stimulants, and the want of recreation? I have coupled these
together because I think that drinking is an attempt to find, by a short and easy
way, the reward of a true recreation; to supply a coarse goad to the wits, so that
there may be forced or fancied increase of play to the imagination, and to
experience, with this, an agreeable physical sensation. I think men will usually
drink to get the fascinating combination of the two. True recreation is the cure,
and this is not adequately supplied here, either in kind or degree, by tea-meetings
and the various religious ‘services,’ which are almost the only social recreations
 (no irreverence intended by thus classing them) in use among the country folk of
Jersey.

But I had better keep to my facts. The deductions I can well leave to my master.

Here is a fact as to the working of the modern finance system here. There is
exceedingly little gold coin in the island; in place thereof we use one-pound notes
issued by the banks of the island. The principal bank issuing these, and also
possessing by far the largest list of depositors, has just failed. Liabilities, as
estimated by the accountants, not less than £332,000; assets calculated by the
same authorities not exceeding £34,000. The whole island is thrown into the same
sort of catastrophe as English merchants by the Overend-Gurney failure. Business
in the town nearly at a stand-still, and failures of tradesmen taking place one after
another, with a large reserve of the same in prospect. But as the country people
are as hard at work as ever, and the panic among the islanders has hindered in
nowise the shooting of the blades through the earth, and general bursting forth of
buds on the trees, I begin to think the island may survive to find some other
chasm for their accumulations. Unless indeed the champion slays the dragon first.
[As far as one of the unlearned may have an opinion, I strongly object both to
‘Rough skin,’ and ‘Red skin,’ as name derivations. There have been useful words
derived from two sources, and I shall hold that the Latin prefix to the Saxon kin
establishes a sort of relationship with St. George.]

I am greatly flattered by my correspondent’s philological studies; but alas,

his pretty result is untenable: no derivation can stand astride on two
languages; also, neither he, nor any of my readers, must think of me as
setting myself up either for a champion or a leader. If they will look back to
the first letter of this book, they will find it is expressly written to quit
myself of public responsibility in pursuing my private work. Its purpose is
to state clearly what must be done by all of us, as we can, in our place; and
to fulfil what duty I personally acknowledge to the State; also I have
promised, if I live, to show some example of what I know to be necessary,
if no more able person will show it first. That is a very different thing from
pretending to leadership in a movement which must one day be as wide as
the world. Nay, even my marching days may perhaps soon be over, and the
best that I can make of myself be a faithful signpost. But what I am, or what
I fail to be, is of no moment to the cause. The two facts which I have to
teach, or sign, though alone, as it seems, at present, in the signature, that
food can only be got out of the ground, and happiness only out of honesty,
are not altogether dependent on any one’s championship, for recognition
among mankind.

For the present, nevertheless, these two important pieces of information are
never, so far as I am aware, presented in any scheme of education either to
the infantine or adult mind. And, unluckily, no other information whatever,
without acquaintance with these facts, can produce either bread and butter,
or felicity. I take the following four questions, for instance, as sufficiently
characteristic, out of the seventy-eight, proposed, on their Fifth subject of
study, to the children of St. Matthias’ National School, Granby Street,
Bethnal Green, (school fees, twopence or threepence a week,) by way of
enabling them to pass their First of May pleasantly, in this blessed year
1873.

1. Explain the distinction between an identity and an equation, and give an easy
example of each. Show that if a simple equation in x is satisfied by two different
values of x, it is an identity.

2. In what time will a sum of money double itself if invested at 10 per cent. per
annum, compound interest?

3. How many different permutations can be made of the letters in the word
Chillianwallah? How many if arranged in a circle, instead of a straight line? And
how many different combinations of them, two and two, can be made?

4. Show that if α and β be constant, and φ and λ variable, and if

then , unless .

I am bound to state that I could not answer any one of these interrogations
myself, and that my readers must therefore allow for the bias of envy in the
expression of my belief that to have been able to answer the sort of
questions which the First of May once used to propose to English children,
—whether they knew a cowslip from an oxslip, and a blackthorn from a
white,—would have been incomparably more to the purpose, both of
getting their living, and liking it.

NOTES AND CORRESPONDENCE.

The following expression of the wounded feelings of the ‘Daily News’ is

perhaps worth preserving:—

“Mr. Ruskin’s ‘Fors Clavigera’ has already become so notorious as a curious

magazine of the blunders of a man of genius who has travelled out of his
province, that it is perhaps hardly worth while to notice any fresh blunder. No one
who writes on financial subjects need be at all surprised that Mr. Ruskin funnily
misinterprets what he has said, and we have ourselves just been the victim of a
misinterpretation of the sort. Mr. Ruskin quotes a single sentence from an article
which appeared in our impression of the 3rd of March, and places on it the
interpretation that ‘whenever you have reason to think that anybody has charged
you threepence for a twopenny article, remember that, according to the “Daily
News,” the real capital of the community is increased.’ We need hardly tell our
readers that we wrote no nonsense of that kind. Our object was to show that the
most important effect of the high price of coal was to alter the distribution of the
proceeds of production in the community, and not to diminish the amount of it;
that it was quite possible for real production, which is always the most important
matter in a question of material wealth, to increase, even with coal at a high price;
and that there was such an increase at the time we were writing, although coal was
dear. These are certainly very different propositions from the curious deduction
which Mr. Ruskin makes from a single short sentence in a long article, the purport
of which was clear enough. There is certainly no cause for astonishment at the
blunders which Mr. Ruskin makes in political economy and finance, if his method
is to rush at conclusions without patiently studying the drift of what he reads.
Oddly enough, it may be added, there is one way in which dear coal may increase
the capital of a country like England, though Mr. Ruskin seems to think the thing
impossible. We are exporters of coal, and of course the higher the price the more
the foreigner has to pay for it. So far, therefore, the increased price is
advantageous, although on balance, every one knows, it is better to have cheap
coal than dear.”
Let me at once assure the editor of the ‘Daily News’ that I meant him no
disrespect in choosing a ‘long’ article for animadversion. I had imagined
that the length of his articles was owing rather to his sense of the
importance of their subject than to the impulsiveness and rash splendour of
his writing. I feel, indeed, how much the consolation it conveys is enhanced
by this fervid eloquence; and even when I had my pocket picked the other
day on Tower Hill, it might have soothed my ruffled temper to reflect that,
in the beautiful language of the ‘Daily News,’ the most important effect of
that operation was “to alter the distribution of the proceeds of production in
the community, and not to diminish the amount of it.” But the Editor ought
surely to be grateful to me for pointing out that, in his present state of mind,
he may not only make one mistake in a long letter, but two in a short one.
Their object, declares the ‘Daily News,’ (if I would but have taken the pains
to appreciate their efforts,) “was to show that it was quite possible for real
production to increase, even with coal at a high price.” It is quite possible
for the production of newspaper articles to increase, and of many other
more useful things. The speculative public probably knew, without the help
of the ‘Daily News,’ that they might still catch a herring, even if they could
not broil it. But the rise of price in coal itself was simply caused by the
diminution of its production, or by roguery.

Again, the intelligent journal observes that “dear coal may increase the
capital of a country like England, because we are exporters of coal, and the
higher the price, the more the foreigner has to pay for it.” We are exporters
of many other articles besides coal, and foreigners are beginning to be so
foolish, finding the prices rise, as, instead of “having more to pay for them,”
never to buy them. The ‘Daily News,’ however, is under the impression that
over, instead of under, selling, is the proper method of competition in
foreign markets, which is not a received view in economical circles.

I observe that the ‘Daily News,’ referring with surprise to the conclusions
which unexpectedly, though incontrovertibly, resulted from their
enthusiastic statement, declare they need hardly tell their readers they
“wrote no nonsense of that kind.” But I cannot but feel, after their present
better-considered effusion, that it would be perhaps well on their part to
warn their readers how many other kinds of nonsense they will in future be
justified in expecting.

WALTER of the BORDER-LAND.

Facsimile of Chantrey’s sketch from life.

1 Far wiser than letting him gather them as valueless. ↑
2 Not translateable. In French, it has the form of a passionate oath, but the spirit of a
gentle one. ↑
3 Head of house doing all he can do well, himself. If he had not had time to make the
brooms well, he would have bought them. ↑
4 Do not calculate so closely how much you can afford to give for the price. ↑
5 Not meaning “you can cheat them afterwards,” but that the customer would not leave
him for another broom-maker. ↑
6 Sold. ↑
7 “Aussi” also how happy she felt. Aussi is untranslateable in this pretty use; so
hereafter I shall put it, as an English word, in its place. ↑
8 “Nigaud,” good for nothing but trifles; worthless, but without sense of vice; (vaut-
rien, means viciously worthless). The real sense of this word here would be “Handless
fool,” but said good-humouredly. ↑
9 Se mit à regarder. I shall always translate such passages with the literal idiom—put
himself. ↑
10 A single batz, about three halfpence in bad silver, flat struck: I shall use the word
without translating henceforward. ↑
11 Pushed it. No horse wanted. ↑
12 Coup de main, a nice French idiom meaning the stroke of hand as opposed by that of
a senseless instrument. The phrase “Taking a place by a coup de main” regards essentially
not so much the mere difference between sudden and long assault, as between assault with
flesh or cannon. ↑
13 Assez clair semées. ↑
14 He is now a capitalist, in the entirely wholesome and proper sense of the word. See
answer of ‘Pall Mall Gazette,’ driven to have recourse to the simple truth, to my third
question in last ‘Fors.’ ↑
15 See above, the first speech of the farmer to Hansli, “Many’s the year now,” etc. It
would be a shame for a well-to-do farmer to have to buy brooms; it is only the wretched
townspeople whom Hansli counts on for custom. ↑
16 Copeaux, I don’t understand this. ↑
17 The mistress of a farm; paysan, the master. I shall use paysanne, after this, without
translation, and peasant, for paysan; rarely wanting the word in our general sense. ↑
18 “Du battu,” I don’t know if it means the butter, or the buttermilk. ↑
19 “Le bout du monde,” meaning, he never thought of going any farther. ↑
20 Compare, if you can get at the book in any library, my article on ‘Home and its
Economies’ in the ‘Contemporary Review’ for May. ↑
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