London Farmers' Club last February, and received considerable discussion. The general feeling seemed to be that village clubs might be much more widely established than at present is the case; and really there can be no possible objection to their multiplication. By the term village clubs is meant institutions for agricultural labourers similar to those for working men in towns, and indeed to the clubs so intimately associated with the town life of the higher classes-in fact, rooms or complete buildings for the social intercourse, amusement, and recreation of the working poor of our villages after their hours of labour. The agricultural labourer is by nature a social creature equally with his fellows in towns; he enjoys society after his kind; he likes chatting over the events of the day, and indulging in local gossip; he is by no means averse to reading the newspapers where he can get them, and he appreciates his pipe more in company than alone; and it is but reasonable and fair that he should have proper opportunities for indulging his tastes, especially when they are truly legitimate, as his brethren in towns mostly have. But at present the only available centre where he and his village friends can meet on common ground and indulge in social intercourse is the village public-house, and it can hardly be said that this is a resort which tends to his improvement in mind, body, or estate. We have no wish to speak uncharitably of these institutions or their proprietors. Many of them are very well managed as far as the landlords can control their customers, and the landlords themselves are often among the most decent and respectable of the rustic community. But at the same time there is no disputing the evils associated with and resulting from the village inn. It is the resort of the idle and dissolute, as well as of the hard-working and respectable; of the drunken as well as of the temperate; in a word, of the bad as well as of the good, and the constant result is that the latter often though gradually drift into the category of the former. It is in the village publichouse that poaching affrays are concocted, dishonest schemes suggested, bad language freely indulged in, and habits of drunkenness fostered; for, unfortunately, he who is most lawless, who uses the foulest words, and drinks the most, is the hero of the taproom. It is, therefore, a hardship that the more decent labourers, and especially the younger men and lads, who are more susceptible of bad influences, should have no common place of resort but that where evil predominates over good, and where there is the strong temptation for men to drink more than they require," for the benefit of the house," as it is called, or to give evidence of what are supposed to be their manly qualities. The village public-house but too often undoes the good work of the village school and neutralises the religious influences of the village church, and, therefore, surely any movement which might lessen its evil effects is most deserving of encouragement. But how and on what principles are village clubs to be founded and managed? Some of those already in existence supply beer to the members under certain restrictions, and some not. There is no reason, however, why village clubs should not prosper without alcoholic beverages being sold at them. Let there be good tea, coffee, and cocoa, and the men will soon find that they can do very well without stronger drink. Tobacco smoking should certainly be allowed, even if a separate room had to be provided for the smokers; for, whatever the anti-tobacco crusaders may say to the contrary, the moderate practice of smoking seems to be soothing to body and mind, conducive to health and even longevity, as countless instances both in town and country abundantly testify. Newspapers and periodicals should be provided, and the village library should have its head-quarters at the club. Games such as draughts, dominoes, bagatelle, and so forth should be provided when possible. Lectures and penny readings should also be organised—and in nine cases out of ten the incumbent of the parish and his friends would answer for these—and when they take place the wives and daughters of the members should be admitted. Indeed, it may be advisable that females should be members of these clubs as well as the males, though, of course, the movement is mainly concerned with the latter. These clubs should not be exclusively church clubs, but available for members of all religious communities alike; and some of their promoters hold they should be open on Sunday evenings. All members should pay a weekly or monthly fee; and the clubs should be based on a commercial principle, and sa far as possible be made self-supporting. The poor both in town and country do not take kindly to institutions which have too pronounced an element of charity in them, and, indeed, are inclined to resent what might be interpreted as a bribe to reform their habits. This, however, need not prevent the well-wishers of the agricultural poor and philanthropists in general, the clergy, the squires, tradesmen, and others with means in a village from directly or indirectly supporting the club, and especially in aiding its first establishment, which last matter would, in the majority of cases, be the great difficulty. But when established the clubs must practically be self-supporting, otherwise there would be the evil of having a patron either in the shape of an individual or of the State, as has actually been proposed, and the working man would not feel that he was leaning on himself. Another question involving some difficulty is the management of such clubs. The essence of a club is that the members make rules and regulations for themselves, or depute this office to a committee which after all reflects the opinions and wishes of the majority of the members; and, moreover, the members of the committee are all of equal social standing. Now though working men in towns may be able fairly to manage their own club affairs, it can hardly be supposed that a village club could be well managed by a committee composed entirely of ordinary agricultural labourers. They would require some aid, and this must be supplied by the clergy, the tenant farmers, the local tradesmen, and others of a grade above the labourers. This element, however, in the committee need not be viewed as necessarily interfering with the practical independence of the members of the club. Penny banks and other provident institutions would probably flourish in connection with these clubs, as most members would each week find that they had saved a considerable number of pence, which otherwise would probably have been expended in paying for more drink at the public-house than they really wanted. It might be advisable that these clubs should not be opened till an hour or so after the closing of the day's work in the country, by which time the village public-house would have done what may be considered its most legitimate business. We have ventured to make these suggestions as to the institution and management of village clubs, and to enter somewhat into details, with a view to increase public interest in the subject; but what is immediately required is something in the way of general organisation for the development of the movement. The chief difficulty in the majority of cases, as has been intimated, would be in providing capital for the building or purchasing suitable premises and other outlays in starting such institutions. The formation, therefore, of a central society, say in London, for promoting village clubs of a kindred character to the Coffee PublicHouse Association, and working like several other philanthropic societies, would seem the first step to be taken, or the multiplication of such distinct associations as that which has its head quarters at Ipswich, and operates throughout Suffolk. The time seems to have come for taking action, and the project is so excellent that it may be taken for granted that it would meet with a very large amount of support if fairly placed before the public. The assistance of the Legislature might, we think, be depended on if any such assistance were needed in removing legal difficulties which may be obstructive of the movement. Parliament also would probably be willing to consider any difficulties under which the general movement may labour in respect to the licensing laws, and facilitate in any reasonable way the establishment of temperance refreshment houses. By way of postscript we think we shall be doing well to call public attention, and especially the attention of those interested in the Temperance Refreshment House Movement, to the fact that on November 1st, 1878, was issued, under the auspices of the Coffee Public-House Association, an illustrated monthly newspaper, called The Coffee Public-House News. The publication has shown a rapid growth of success as the movement itself has progressed. Among its contents will be found each month leading articles on the movement; descriptions of remarkable coffee public-houses; articles on the details of management and on the supply and preparations of food and drinks; descriptions of improved fittings and apparatus; correspondence and discussion; and a monthly review of the markets. It is published by S. W. Partridge and Co., 9, Paternoster Row; and may be considered the press organ of the Temperance Refreshment House Movement. 59 SOUTH AFRICA. IN one sense the most ancient, Africa is in another sense the most modern, of the quarters of the globe. The seat, in its northern portions, of the earliest civilisation known to authentic history, it presents at the present day, in its central and southern portions, the most interesting and important regions left for reclamation from barbarism. The history of the continent has indeed travelled continuously southwards, from the time of Carthage to that of the Zulu War; and while its early chronicle will be found in the classics, and its modern in the newspapers, it has also a period of interest lying both geographically and chronologically between the two-the period of the discovery and settlement of its west, or west central coasts. Of the glories of the first period of African history it is not necessary here to say much. What the world owes to ancient Egypt, though we may never define, we are at no loss to appreciate; it is in every sense immense. But neither middle Africa in later times, nor modern and southern Africa in the present day, looks back to ancient and northern Africa, except through Europe. The ultimate triumph, after long struggles, of Rome over Carthage, fixed the centre of historical progress in Europe; and to Rome was gathered the fruits of whatever there had been in northern Africa of human civilisation. From Rome the watershed line of civilisation trended gradually northwards and westwards, so that Africa was next reached by way of Portugal, England, and Holland, who discovered its middle coast, and established with it those trading relations which exist to the present day. These West Coast Settlements, however, and the middle period of the continent's history, have a more immediate bearing upon its modern existence, and the southern tracts to which attention in the present day is chiefly directed; for it was the Dutch who, after doing something for the West Coast, went south and became the parents of the modern African colonies. In the last few years Africa has afforded all round a revival of interest. The resuscitation of Egypt is at the present moment a problem hardly second in the minds of statesmen to the neverending "Eastern Question:" there are not wanting, indeed, signs that some of the more astute of our public men, while ostensibly occupied with Turkey, have modern Egypt really in |