is that such a village might be quite as important as any town, and that there would be room for every useful profession and trade, and vocation. There should be no lawyer, if it could be prevented. The village parliament, elected by universal suffrage (female as well as male), might also form a court of arbitration, to determine the disputes that unluckily must arise wherever human beings. dwell together. As to doctors, appoint them officially, giving each a district with a liberal stipend; but adding at the end of the year a bonus of generous amount when the health of the district was above the average. There would, of course, be crime in the ideal village -black sheep and families of scamps: such is humanity. Well, the incurable vagabonds I would assist to emigrate; many a man who has come to grief in England would do well on the other side of the ocean. But for petty crimes, the larcenies of boys and girls, the small beginnings of vice, there

should be provided, not a gaol, but a reformatory-a place where hard work, hard fare, and severe discipline, would in many cases work a cure.

There should be in the village at least two clubs-one for the gentle, the other for the simple. The former needs no description ; it would, of course, be organised on the principle of the best London clubs. The latter should supply my tradesfolk and peasantry with all they wanted in the way of refreshment at cost price; should give them a cheap substantial dinner, homebrewed ale, sound low-priced wines of France and Germany; should contain library, reading-room, smoking-room, and all other club requirements, fitted in a plain and simple, but by no means vulgar style. This being properly arranged, I do not know that the village need have any inn or tavern for its inhabitants' use; but I should incline to establish a place of reception for travellers,

managed by a paid officer, who would thus have opportunity of scrutinising suspicious arrivals. It should be an inn for travellers only, and all who came should be reported to the chief executive person-call him mayor, or warden, or reeve, or what you will-once every day.

In treating of this diminutive Eutopia, I leave religion out of the question. I would myself build a church, and would give free permission to sectaries to build conventicles for themselves. But what about education? and what about amusement? Well, I hope we should have a free grammar school of the best kind—a village Eton-where Greek and Latin and mathematics should be soundly taught, and cricket and rowing and football strenuously practised. Therewith must be

connected middle and lower schools, for commercial education and the three R's respectively. But how about the girls? There's the rub. I am afraid all the tradesmen's

daughters would insist on being genteel and playing the piano. I think I would try for the girls of gentle blood a girls' grammar school, taught by university men; and leave them to learn what are styled accomplishments' at home. I should greatly like to try the American plan, of educating boys and girls together, for I think much harm often comes of their being sedulously kept apart; but there are many difficulties in the way. Assuredly girls should have strict and scientific training; they might all learn Latin and logic and geometry; a select few might even attack Greek and the calculus.

Then, as to amusement. First of all, I would have a village green, a fine wide common, where the elders might lounge on summer afternoons, while the boys played cricket, and the girls croquet, and the infants skipped and danced, and a pair or two of lovers roamed and whispered. I would build my village, so far as possible, round this

common; the church, the schools, the clubs, the travellers' rest, the village hall, and other public edifices, should look down upon it; so the amusement of the place would be open and general. Such an arrangement would stimulate society and discourage secresy. Only the nobler natures, which are rare, can be trusted to take independent and isolated enjoyment.

I think it would also be a good thing to establish dramatic representations for the amusement of my village youth. While original capacity is rare, the imitative faculty is frequent; and I can imagine no finer culture for girl and boy than to identify themselves with certain characters in Shakespeare and others of our greater dramatists. Nobody should take two characters; I don't want to develop histrionic art among my youthful villagers; I merely wish to give them an opportunity of developing their own characters by help of a great poet. My