Raunds - MICHAELMAS—The weather has been very unpropitious for the celebration of the holidays which have so long been associated with the feast of St. Michael in this part of the country. This is the great holiday of the year for farmers' servants, both male and female; although in this village, in consequence of the extension of the shoe trade, it is less marked than formerly. It is a time of change both with master and manservant, and mistress and maidservant, or it is the period of new arrangements, when Richard gets an extra £1 from the master to stay again, and Dorothy obtains a like advance in wages from her mistress for her next year's services. But whether or not a fresh agreement is made and the servants stay again, or a change takes place, the occasion is marked by a few days' or a week's holiday, and the "going home" of the servants after a year's service is looked forward to with pleasurable anticipations. It is a little unfortunate therefore that the warm receptions and re-unions awaiting them should be damped and marred by ungenial and wet weather.

Note: although this report is for Raunds - it would have been much the same in all parishes.