"Grandmother," he said, almost in al whisper, "here she is coming along the road."

"Miss Rosewarne?"

"Yes shall I introduce you?" "If you like."

Wenna was coming down the steep road, between the high hedges, with a small girl on each side of her, whom she was leading by the hand. She was gaily talking to them; you could hear the children laughing at what she said. Old Mrs. Trelyon came to the conclusion that this merry young lady, with the light and free step, the careless talk, and fresh colour in her face, was certainly not dying of any love-affair.

"Take the reins, grandmother, for a minute."

He had leapt down into the road, and was standing before her, almost ere she had time to recognize him. For a moment a quick gleam of gladness shone on her face; then, almost instinctively, she seemed to shrink from him, and she was reserved, distant, and formal.

He introduced her to the old lady, who said something nice to her about her sister. The young man was looking wistfully at her, troubled at heart that she treated him so coldly.

"I have got to break some news to you," he said; 'perhaps you will consider it good news."

She looked up quickly. "Nothing has happened to anybodyonly some one has arrived. Mr. Roscorla is at the inn."

From The Cornhill Magazine.

THE COST OF LIVING. COMPLAINTS about the increase in the cost of living have of late been rife in every quarter. In these complaints themselves, and in the various suggestions and appeals for relief which have been founded upon them, the fact of such a rise has been so generally assumed that any attempt to explain that it is in great part imaginary will seem to most persons simply paradoxical. Does not every mistress of a household, it will be urged, have, in details, the evidence of the fact brought to her mind in her morning interviews with her cook or housekeeper? And does not every master have the same evidence, in the aggregate, when the time comes to add up and discharge his Christmas bills? where else is the explanation and justification to be sought for the Civil Service stores, and their rapid and startling sucThe matter is worth inquiring into. We are convinced that here, as in so many other cases, the popular mind has got hold of a few unquestionable facts, but has been rather too apt to turn aside from equally important groups of counterbalancing facts.

cess?

And

Discussions upon the subject have not as a rule, we apprehend, taken the most convenient and conclusive form. They have depended too much upon vague individual recollection of details, or hearsay, on the one hand, or upon appeals to statistical columns on the other hand. She did not flinch. He was vexed with We are convinced, however, that the her that she showed no sign of fear or dis-examination of concrete instances offers like. On the contrary, she quickly said practically the only available plan. It is that she must then go down to the inn; certainly the most interesting, and we and she bade them both good-by, in a placid and ordinary way; while he drove off, with dark thoughts crowding into his imagination of what might happen down at the inn during the next few days. He was angry with her, he scarcely knew why.

Meanwhile Wenna, apparently quite calm, went on down the road; but there was no more laughing in her voice, no more light in her face.

"Miss Wenna," said the smaller of the two children, who could not understand this change, and who looked up with big, wondering eyes, "why does oo tremble so?"

hope to give sufficient reasons for establishing that it is the most trustworthy plan. Long lists of figures, containing the statistics of the rise and fall of varielements of an inquiry, and need a considerable amount of dressing up before they can be of any service to us. The price alone is clearly not sufficient. We must also know the relative amount of each of the commodities which may happen to be consumed, so as to understand how far a saving in the one direction will neutralize a loss in another. But the moment this is done the inquiry really becomes a concrete and relative one, for the comparative amount of the various articles demanded for different households varies widely according to tastes and circumstances. In one family bread

ous commodities are at best the mere

and meat will be the important items; | years ago, having the best possible in another, amusements, travel, and lit- grounds for knowing what was the cost erature will be the main outlets of the in- of living for a similar family a genera come. Tastes and circumstances being tion further on. We will call the housevarious, expenses must be so likewise. holders respectively father and son. Hence it seems to follow that if we wish They occupied the same social position to get at the facts in a simple and intelli- in the upper, or upper middle class, gible manner, we have really only two whichever people may please to call it. courses before us. One of these is to Their incomes were not very different, endeavour to construct a sort of fictitious say about 1,000l. a year. Their tastes person who shall represent the average also were somewhat similar. Both had expenses of any given rank or position. decided literary sympathies, were fond of We may assign him an average number hospitality in a quiet way, and of travel, of children, of average health and appe- and were both fairly good domestic mantite, and credit the parents with a sort agers. As far as we can judge, thereof average disposition and line of ex- fore, each would want similar classes of penditure. As regards the simple wants articles and of about the same quality, and tastes of the agricultural labouring- and would be likely to get it at much classes, such a plan as this might answer. about the same relative cost. The cases It has in fact been repeatedly adopted in are also analogous in that neither of them their case with the result of establishing, lived either in London or in the heart of conclusively we think, that even in spite the country, but for the most part in of a rise of money-wages their position is country towns; so that that source of on the whole worse in some parts of the uncertainty is avoided which arises from country than it was a generation ago. the fact that formerly the difficulties of When, however, we attempt to apply the transit produced much greater differsame method to the middle and upper ences than now exist between the price classes, with their widely varying tastes of some things in the metropolis and in and circumstances, it loses most of its the country. interest and value. No one would feel his own case sufficiently nearly coincident with that of the fictitious individual to find much interest in carrying out the comparison.

Before giving some of our results in detail, there are one or two prevalent sources of confusion which require to be cleared up. Perhaps the oddest, one might say the coolest assumption often A far better plan, therefore, seems to made in discussions upon this subject, be to find some actual concrete case, is one which really amounts to a claim that is, to take an instance of a family that all loss arising from increase of cost (if such can be found) which we happened is to be regarded as a privation, and to know occupied about the same social therefore a ground for complaint, whereas position, and possessed approximately all saving arising from diminution of similar tastes and means in two succes- cost in other directions may fairly be resive generations. What we may thus garded as being swallowed up by the seem to lose in scientific accuracy will be greater "demands" of the present age. more than made up in other ways. What Beef and butter are dearer, therefore we want to know is not the cost or whole-here is a privation; but when it is urged sale price of things, which is what the on the other hand that travelling is vastly statisticians are mostly concerned with, cheaper, the answer will very likely be, but the actual price which had to be paid "Oh! but people are obliged to travel by ordinary householders of common sa- so much more now than they used to do? gacity and opportunity. Moreover, by every one does so now, even those who thus taking actual concrete instances, we formerly never thought of such a thing, are saved from much uncertainty and and therefore we, like others, are forced conjecture in the assignment of the sup-to do the same." Still more is the same posed proportions in various directions answer resorted to in the case of every which the outlay of our fictitious householder would assume.

We may remark that it was the accident of such an opportunity as this coming into our way that put us upon the present line of inquiry. We recently fell in with some tolerably full and accurate household books of from forty to fifty

sort of social display. It need hardly be remarked that every plea of this sort must be peremptorily rejected. All that we are concerned with is the simple question, can I or can I not procure a larger supply than a man of my own means could, a generation or two ago, of the common necessaries and luxuries of

life? To turn aside to examine whether | pagne. But why do they expect it now? we get more or less pleasure out of these Our fathers liked the taste of it as much sources than people would formerly have as we do, and would have been just as done, is to enter upon a totally different glad to drink it; but they could not question. If our physical frames actual- afford it. This means that the son's inly required more sustenance now, that come is on an average larger than the would be a fair set-off to any cheaper father's; but the claims and expectations price in the materials; but if a man can of society are simply a consequence and adorn his walls with double the number sign of this gradual enrichment: they are of engravings or pictures that could have not a product which goes on growing of been procured for the same money fifty its own accord. We shall therefore negyears ago, this is an unquestionable gain. lect all such considerations, and confine For him to turn round and say that after ourselves to the simple question, will a all it comes to nothing, because society given income in the middle and upper "demands" a greater show, is to miss classes buy more or less of such things the whole point in dispute. Of course as they choose to lay it out in? the stomach must be fairly filled before Another and rather perplexing quesour walls are decorated, but we are not tion arises out of the fact that nearly all discussing the case of the very poor, all articles have of late years improved in whose earnings go to necessaries, with quality, owing to increased knowledge or the smallest margin left for luxuries. We mechanical skill in their production. Inare concerned with the case of the mid-deed, in many cases this improvement dle and upper classes, of whose expendi- has been so great as to have taken the ture, whether we choose to give it the form of the entire supersession of the old name of luxury or not, a very large por- material or instrument by modern subtion is spent on what are not necessaries. stitutes. In the case of scientific and "Life" with them is not a struggle for manufacturing commodities this is too the means of existence, but a choice evident to need more than a passing alluamongst many forms of amusement and sion. Compare, eg. the Moderator or relaxation. Unless therefore we take an Silber lamp with the best oil-lamps in absurdly narrow view of the matter, we existence forty years ago. The quality must include under the term "cost of of the light now used in every little living," for any class, all that makes life drawing-room is such as hardly a nobleenjoyable, as well as what makes it pos- man could then procure. In respect of sible for them. the lighting of our streets, halls, and passages, the contrast is of course more striking still. So in every other direction. Modern linen is finer and whiter, modern paper smoother, steel pens (to most tastes) infinitely less vexing than quills.

The fact is, that to put up such a plea as the above is to concede almost all that is needed. Society has no fixed claims whatever; it claims just as much as it can get. Men on an average live pretty nearly up to their income, or at any rate spend about the same proportion of it in We are quite aware that a contradicone age and another. If then they are tory belief circulates in some minds. found to buy more of some article of en- Many people have a conviction that joyment than they used to, it is a sign al- things are now made cheap and nasty in most certainly of an increased income, comparison with the excellence and sobut also not improbably of some fall in lidity of old workmanship. It would take the price of the article in question. up too much space here to give the full After a time they get accustomed to the grounds of our own conviction, but we enjoyment of it, regard it as essential to have very little doubt that the fact is that their rank or position, and grumble if in the case of almost every article those they cannot have it, and the margin by who really wish for excellence can get it which it was originally procured, as well. as good or better than they ever could Every increase therefore in the demands before; but that to suit the democratic of society often marks a decrease, recent taste of the day, and the consequent deor of long standing, in the cost of living. sire to secure a sort of outside equality It may of course have been attained by in all ranks, showy articles of inferior an increase of the average income, but durability are made as well; in other it may also be due to a fall in the price words, that the cheap and flimsy things, of the article. People say, for instance, in so far as they are really more numer that dinner-giving is more expensive ous, represent not so much a substitunow, because every one expects cham- tion for the good as a supplement to

them. Hardly any one would deny that to set about estimating the latter? Such this is the case in jewellery, for instance, considerations as these serve to remind and we suspect that the same explana- us that any comparison between past and tion is equally valid in almost every other present cost of living must be at best a direction. The common objection which somewhat rough affair, not so much from consists in pointing to some stout, and the difficulty of procuring statistics, as probably ugly, old chair or cloak, and from the difficulty, in fact impossibility, comparing it favourably with those in use of deciding clearly the principles upon now, is met by the simple reply that all the which they are to be applied in a large weak ones have been broken up or thrown number of cases. away, so that none but the few strong ones are left. Of the generally rickety houses which the builders run up nowadays about London, who can tell but what a small remnant may be left a century hence which shall be pointed out as a favourable contrast to their latest successors ?

This improvement in quality throws a difficulty in the way of our inquiry, for since we have not got the old articles to compare with the new, we are apt to forget how much cheaper the latter may often be at nominally the same price. It is of course impossible to estimate the value of such a saving as this with any approach to numerical accuracy, but clearly some account ought to be taken of it, for the object of life is not merely to get much, but also to get it good.

We will now give a glance at some of the facts. It will be best to divide the total outlay into four or five principal groups corresponding to the main classes of wants. The first of these corresponds to what are often called "household" expenses, viz. food and drink, and the neces saries for procuring and dressing these. In their case, the comparison is for the most part very simple. Nearly every important article which we consume now was consumed forty years ago, and there has not been much difference in the quality during that interval. All that we have to do, therefore, is to make a comparative estimate of their values then and now. On the whole, there can be no doubt that they have risen, and risen considerably. Butchers' meat is about double what it was, and the same may be said of its So again, to refer to a somewhat simi- occasional substitutes, such as game, lar class of cases, there are many articles fowls, rabbits, &c. Butter is considerwhich simply were not procurable at all in ably more than double, and eggs and former days; for instance, photographic milk are also dearer. Bread, of course, likenesses. Any labourer can now pro- fluctuates from year to year, but has cure for a shilling a more perfect likeness shown no sign of any permanent fall of a relative than the richest man could since the repeal of the corn-laws. Some have purchased a generation ago. When things, no doubt, have fallen; sugar and the comparison is made between past coffee to some extent, and tea to between and present cost, what account is to be half and one-third of its former price. taken of such things as these? It is The lighter kinds of wine also have clearly an advantage to have the power of lately become a cheap drink; the choicer procuring things which our fathers would wines, on the other hand, remaining as have liked as much as we do, but which they were, or becoming, like all scarce they had not the chance to get, but it is things, dearer. Of the innumerable rean advantage which cannot well be ex-maining things supplied mostly by the pressed numerically. The best we can grocer we cannot attempt to offer an esdo is to make a rough comparison with the superior articles of the class which most nearly took their place in former days.

timate; some have risen, others fallen, but their aggregate alteration does not amount to very much. Coals are one of those commodities which vary in price So again with the saving which is with the locality; railway communicamade, not in money, but in time. A man tion, however, has produced such an efcan now go from London to York at fect that even now, in the south of Engabout one-third the price which his father | land, in spite of the late rise, they are would have had to pay. But he can also cheaper than they were forty years ago. do it with comparative comfort and safe-The father, in our comparison, had to ty, in all weathers and at all times of the pay in the neighbourhood of London in year, in less than five hours, instead of requiring, as formerly, from twenty to thirty. The former advantage admits of accurate determination, but how are we

winter thirty-five shillings a ton for his coals; they could be delivered there even now for less than that; and three years ago could be bought for twenty-seven

shillings. When we add up the gain and rect charges for teaching are not much loss on all these various items, taking more than they were. The rise in into account not only their price but their the indirect charges, for living, etc., fall amount, we find, as might be expected, into the same class as those for other that the scale in which the butcher and persons; whilst in regard to the style of his allies, the poulterer and dairyman, living we have already said all that is stand, shows a decided tendency to sink. needed, and will therefore merely remark This is readily understood when it is that when people on the whole choose to observed that the aggregate of these spend a great deal more than their fahousehold expenses runs up to more than thers did, they are simply showing that a fourth of the total income (in the son's their pockets are fuller, but are throwing case), and that of this aggregate, meat no light upon the question whether the costs not much under one-third; viz. cost of living has increased. In regard some 75%. out of 250l. We should not, to the universal instruments of mental perhaps, be far from the mark if we were improvement, books, papers, etc., the to reckon the loss in this department at saving of cost is so gigantic that no one from 30l. to 50l.; that is to say, the son who thinks that these things are comhas to pay that annual sum extra in or- parable with beef and mutton should der to keep his table as well furnished as venture to assert without careful inquiry his father's. that the total cost of living has risen at We will next discuss that group of ex-all. In respect of standard favourites, penses which may be called educational. for instance, we have every range of By this we mean, not merely school and cheapened production, from the novel of college expenses, but all those which Walter Scott, which we procure at one most directly concern mental enjoy-sixty-third of the price which it cost our ment and improvement, such as books, fathers, to the old classics, in which newspapers, lectures, writing-materials, much of the improvement consists rather and so on. We are here getting on to in the better paper and typography. In ground on which some of the sources of the case of newspapers again, the error already pointed out are especially Times, for instance, has halved its likely to mislead. People are very apt price and doubled or trebled its size; merely to think of what they have to pay, whilst in respect of the infinite variety and to neglect to consider the quality of of other daily, weekly, and monthly jourwhat they get for their money. They nals, no comparison can be made, simply complain of school charges being higher, because one of the elements of such a but they fail to realize how vastly greater comparison is entirely wanting. We in proportion has been the improvement now enjoy sources of information which in the instruction given. Formerly, af- simply could not be procured by any one, ter a few great old schools had been at any cost, forty years ago. Somewhat named (and these with many drawbacks similar remarks apply to pictures. The of antique prejudice and barbarous cus- great rise in the price of original works tom), it was quite a chance whether, in a of art need not be noticed here, since small country grammar school, you got this does not touch one man in ten thouany return worth mentioning for your sand; but the cheapening effected in all outlay. You might possibly get a good kinds of copies by photography, chromoreturn, and you might get a bad one, and lithography, and the numerous other there were few opportunities of knowing substitutes for the old engraving probeforehand which was the most likely. cess, opens sources of enjoyment to We strongly suspect that if any parent every one. The general expenditure unwere content to put up with an article no der this head of education is of course better than his father got he might still very variable, and depends in amount procure it at the old cost by simply send- and direction upon the accident of there ing his boys to cheap and inferior being boys in a family, or of a son schools. But he chooses instead, very being trained for a learned profeswisely, one of the now numerous large sion. But we may safely say that the schools and colleges which in every increased payment for schooling is not respect, except social prestige, stand on great, and is more than made up by the the level of the old public schools. Much improvement in quality; whilst, in rethe same may be said of university ex-gard to literature, etc., we should be penses, though here the rise of price has well within the mark in saying that half been but little, great as has been the the old cost is saved, so that any man improvement in the instruction. The di- whose expenditure under this head is