Again, there are the railways. Notice how little townships have grown up round the railway stations, especially on the main lines in districts near a big town. Houses spring up for the hosts of people who, like streams of human ants, hurry to the station to catch the early morning trains, and, as the afternoon wears into evening, come again from the station to snatch a few hours' rest at home. We have said nothing of "The beauty and mystery of ships, And the magic of the sea", and the part they have had in the making of our towns and villages. This subject would require not only one but many books, and then we shall only just have begun to think about it, and to find out how little we know. Our wonderful Navy, our Merchant Sailors, our Fishermen--what do we _not_ owe to them for what they have done for us in the terribly anxious times through which we have passed and are still passing! It is good, in spite of all the awful suffering, to have lived through these years, and to have seen something of what can be done by sacrifice of self, co-operation, and just "sticking to duty"--on land, on sea, under the sea, and in the air, in busy towns, and in quiet country places. Yes, the life of our towns and villages is a very interesting subject. Nature and Man each works for and with the other; both are full of mystery, life, beauty, and high inspiration, if we could only use our eyes to see, our intelligence to understand, our hearts to sympathize, and our hands to work, for the things that are true, and lovely, and pure. [Illustration: _Modern Industry_] Transcriber's note: There are four illustrations that were marked as [Illustration}. They have each been given a caption. Page 72 [Illustration] is now [Illustration: _Diagram of the Shape of a Villein's House_] Page 142 [Illustration] is now [Illustration: _Diagram of a Large House_] Page 174 [Illustration] is now [Illustration: _Diagrams of Layouts for a Boy's Game_] Page 200 [Illustration] is now [Illustration: _Modern Industry_]. A paragraph break has been inserted on Page 143 after [Illustration: _Diagram of a Large House_]. End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Social Life in England Through the Centuries, by H. R. Wilton Hall