Maybold Mutters - 8 August 1858

10th Sunday after Trinity

Strong words in the sermon this morning from Maybold. Suggesting that the folk of the field have a habit, when resting from harvesting, to nip off into the hedgerows for forbidden pleasures.

Well, he may be right. But personally I don't see how they could manage it. If Maybold had to spend a fourteen-hour day in the fields, day after day, I doubt he'd be able to dip his pen-nib in his ink-bottle, let alone have his lusty way with the local maidens. As far as I can tell, the main times of the year for this sort of going on are Christmas, when there's not much else to do in the fields, and St John's Eve when the nights are long.

Still, warnings against fornication are very important. That's what we pay him for, so he may as well do his job.  And then we can all get on with ours.