Rider Haggard's Norfolk Home

1901

Author of "She" Studying Farm Life

With Many Other Englishmen He Thinks that England's Decline is Imminent if Rural Life is Neglected by the People.

LONDON, July 20. — Among the latest to join the ranks of those who think that a bucolic existence is conducive to the best results of civilization is Rider Haggard.

He is now busily employed, not in the creation of a new novel, but in trying to master agricultural problems. He even goes so far as to strike a keynote of warning by expressing his belief that the yellow race will supplant the white if the latter continue to develop themselves through urban life.

Mr. Haggard is now living on his farm at Ditchingham, in Norfolk, and will shortly start out to make a tour of Ireland and Scotland for the purpose of studying agricultural methods and conditions in those two countries.

He had not long since returned from a trip to Palestine when I had the pleasure of meeting him at his home, an ancient, red brick, ivy-covered structure in the Queen Anne style sitting in the center of a large, well-kept lawn, close to the banks of the river Waveney which divides the countries of Norfolk and Suffolk.

A tall, handsome fellow is Rider Haggard, in his 41st year, bearded and powerfully built, with the appearance of a man capable of doing many years of good work yet.

Mr. Haggard may be considered as anything but a lazy man. Besides looking after his 200 acre farm he is chairman of the local bench of magistrates and at the same time is probably doing more literary work than at any previous part of his career.

"While I strongly object to the suggestion that we are a decadent nation," said Mr. Haggard, "we will, I fear, become so unless we cultivate that love for rural life which has always been at the basis of English physique and character. City life is at the best only an artificial existence and does not conduce to the development of those virtues which create the happiness and benefit of the human race.

"Look at the stamina of the Boers, which is due to the life they lead as agriculturists. They are comparable in that respect to the Americans at the time of the revolution.

"I am the last one to become pessimistic, but I fear that at least some of our optimism is unjustified. While individually I prefer country life to city life I have another motive for my conduct. I desire to be of some use during my day and generation — to lend my hand to try and check the crowding the cities at the expense of the country.

"I say, and, I believe, say it advisedly, that unless something is done to check the migration toward the cities and the constant stripping of the land, not England alone but Europe as well will become a prey to the yellow race. You are cutting at the vitals of the nation when you take a man from the farm to overstock the city. We are daily becoming a more nervous and excitable race, showing, to my mind, a positive deterioration.

"The old yeoman class who carried their crossbows at Crecy and Poictiers were the stamp of men who have left their impress on the history of the race. They were the small farmers and backbone of the community.

"Not alone does the draining of the country of its men tend to deteriorate the race, but it leaves us too dependent upon other nations.

"In England today there is not more than two months' supply of food. Suppose some clever American speculator were to corner wheat and we could not get our necessary supply from any other country what might not happen?

"You cannot legislate a man onto a farm, but you can lend the force of your example to the desire for leading a country life. Some one must begin to try to turn the tide anyhow." — CHARLES PEEL.

—Special to the Davenport Daily Republican, Davenport, Iowa, July 21, 1901, p. 9. H. Rider Haggard, also author of "King Solomon's Mines" and "Ayesha."