| caption: |
Chapter One. The Material Background |
| caption: |
some young men guard the village during the day when the villagers are in the fields |
| text: |
During the greater part of the day the village appeared deserted of all but the very old and the very young. Here and there on a veranda an aged man or woman sat in the sun, and children too young to be of use in the fields, played in groups in the village streets and lanes, but to guard against accident or emergency, or in case of fire, several men from each bachelors' hall always remained in the village. |
