THE WAR AND THE VILLAGE.
[To THE EDITOR Or THE " SPECTATOR."] Sfa,—The war is slowly taking hold of the imagination of the village, and here on the east coast of Essex the possibility of invasion is beginning to penetrate. "The war, that do fare to worry me. I can't get no rest for thinking of it," say the women, and the question often follows : "Do you think they'll come here, Miss ? " Their ideas are still vague, especially as to geography. The nearness of the enemy to England was a great shock to one labourer. "Why, I thought they was thousands and thousands of miles away," be said. A. Reservist's wife asked : "Is France abroad F" Another old labourer observed that it was "a wonderful pity the ways of the world couldn't be changed without so much slaughter.' "We are lucky to be so as we can go to sleep peaceful. I lay awake last night and thought of them guns rearm' foreign," said another. He went on to ask : "When was that when there was troubled times about here before, Miss?" Not quite grasping what answer was expected of me, I began to talk about Napoleon. A grown-up daughter standing by broke in with : "Why, father, that was when the Romans was." This village is near Colchester, and a tradition of the Roman occupation still survives in a stream running through it known as the "Roman River." The old man's last remark will find an echo in all hearts : "The King, I feel wexed for
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