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the habits and manner of life, among the country
people of Jersey.
I have heard it said, that a Jerseyman will do anything
rather than put his hand in his pocket: and
judging by facts which have come to my knowledge,
I incline to put some faith in the saying. It frequently
happens, for example, that rather than lay out
money for inferior grain, to feed poultry, a small Jersey
farmer will use his best wheat for this purpose:
and several instances have come within my knowledge,
in which his cows have been all but starved,—fed on
the most miserable offals, or sold, at any loss, because
he could not prevail with himself to go to market, and
purchase proper food for them. In these examples,
which I am far from asserting to be universally applicable,
but which are certainly not unusual, we recognise
avarice carried so far as to defeat its own ends.
The strong disinclination of the Jerseyman to part
with money,—or, which is the same thing,—the disinclination
to consume that part of his farm produce,
which is readily converted into money, (unless by
consuming it, a greater expenditure is prevented), is
strongly exhibited in case of illness. For example, if
a nourishing broth diet be ordered by a medical man,
it is scarcely possible to prevail with the patient to
sacrifice the barn door fowl, which next Saturday,
would fetch eighteen-pence in the market: he would
rather run up a doctor’s bill, and swallow physic.
The “ quid pro quo ” is also a tolerably general
rule of conduct. A loan is expected to be repaid by
a loan; labour to be given for labour: and here, independence
of character, and love of money, go hand
in hand. Rather than pay hire to a labourer, a Jersey
farmer will ask the assistance of his neighbour ; but
at the same time, feels, that his independence of character
calls upon him to repay that labour which he
has borrowed. This is all right but the principle ot
“ tit for tat,” is at times carried too far. I have
known two young ladies, in the course of a walk into
the country, call at a farm house, and after taking
some bread, tender payment for it, which w ^ accepted:
and I have known others, who, having been
drenched with rain in the course of a walk, took refuge
ill a farm house, the mistress of which, accepted payment
for having lighted a fire of sea-weed, to warm
and dry them. But with all this penuriousness, a
Jerseyman is altogether above accepting pecuniary
assistance from strangers ; and holds in special horror,
the resort of parish charity. May he long continue so
to feel; and to prefer the rule of » quid pro quo,” so
long as it is allied to that independence which abhors,
because it places him above the want of parochial
relief.
The love of, and the spirit of independence, have
other accessaries than penuriousness. Industry is one
of these, and this is sufficiently conspicuous in the
natives of Jersey. They may be said to be, in all
ranks, a hard working people ; and appear never to
consider themselves above their business,—a result,
which in England, too often accompanies success.
With few exceptions, “ all work and no play,” is their
maxim to live by; and the inclination to make the
most of time, is observable among the country women,
as well as among the country men. If on a market