Town Versus Country

In Short

Set in the hilly Berkshire region known as the "Low Country," this story follows the homecoming of William Howe, a farmer’s son who fled to London after his childhood sweetheart was betrothed to another. Having made his fortune as a shop’s foreman, he returns to his family's farm in a flamboyant open carriage, dressed in extravagant high fashion. His sister Susan greets him in the country lanes, exposing his town-bred pretension and revealing that his former love remains unmarried. To secure his family's favor and reclaim his old life, William quickly sheds his fine clothes and foreign airs.

The Story

The tale opens on a harvest afternoon in Berkshire, where the sturdy, old-fashioned yeoman Michael Howe walks through the winding lanes of Rutherford West with his gentle daughter, Susan. Michael is thoroughly incensed by his son William, who left for London three years earlier. Having received letters written in blue ink on pink, musk-scented paper, Michael fears William has transformed into a foolish, pampered coxcomb. Susan defends her brother, reminding her father of why he left: William was brokenhearted when their neighbor, Master George Arnot, blocked his union with Arnot's daughter Mary and intended to marry her to a wealthy old maltster named Jacob Giles instead. Unwilling to watch Mary marry another, William took a position in a London man-mercer’s shop, where he prospered and eventually inherited a sum of money from his godfather. Michael, however, remains unimpressed by William's success, despising all London shams and declaring he will welcome his son if he acts like a man, but kick him out if he behaves like a dandy.

As Michael heads off to inspect his fields, Susan walks toward Wantage to meet her brother. Her thoughts are interrupted by the sudden sound of approaching wheels followed by a loud crash. Rounding a corner, she discovers a heavy open carriage—a britschka or droschky—turned over against a gate-post. William is arguing in two languages with his companion, Monsieur Victor, an exquisitely groomed French perfumer. William sends the Frenchman back down the road for aid while he walks toward the farm, allowing Susan to greet him warmly.

Though overjoyed to see her brother, Susan is astonished by his appearance. Clad in claret-colored tailoring, a dazzling waistcoat, silk stockings, fine rings, and elaborate facial hair, William looks completely out of place in the countryside. Yet as they talk, Susan realizes his affectionate, generous nature remains unchanged. She gently points out that his delicate Parisian shoes and tight coat are entirely unsuitable for country life.

Susan then reveals crucial news: Mary Arnot never married Jacob Giles. Mary confessed her true feelings, and the old maltster kindly called off the wedding. Furthermore, the old legal dispute between their families ended when Master Arnot fell ill, reconciled with Michael, and named him Mary’s guardian before passing away. Mary is currently waiting at home, hoping William returns as the rustic man she once loved. Realizing William adopted his flashy wardrobe merely to show off what Mary had lost, Susan urges him to cast aside his pretense. Convinced, William sends Monsieur Victor away with the carriage, slips into the woods to change into his old shooting jacket, and lets Susan trim his whiskers before they walk home together to reunite with his father and Mary.

How It Unfolds

A father's exasperation Walking through his Berkshire farm fields, yeoman Michael Howe complains bitterly to his daughter Susan about his son William. Distressed by William's scented, colorful letters from London, Michael vows to cast his son out if he returns as an affected dandy.

An overturn in the lane Susan walks toward Wantage to meet William and hears a carriage crash in the narrow road. She finds a overturned britschka and witnesses William arguing with his companion, an intensely scented French perfumer named Monsieur Victor.

Sibling reunion and splendid attire After William sends the Frenchman off for help, he greets Susan warmly in the lane. Susan is amazed by his extravagant London fashion, including a bright waistcoat, fine jewelry, and trimmed whiskers, though she detects his underlying good nature.

Revelations of lost love Susan informs William that his sweetheart, Mary Arnot, never married her wealthy suitor and is currently living at their farm under Michael's guardianship. She explains that Mary still loves him and longs for the simple country youth he used to be.

Stripping away the town Realizing his vanity was merely a cover for heartbreak, William agrees to abandon his town display. He gifts the carriage to Monsieur Victor, changes into a rustic shooting jacket in the woods, and lets Susan trim his whiskers before heading home.

The People

• Michael Howe: A traditional, firm-minded Berkshire yeoman who works his own land. He deeply despises London fashions, foreign customs, and pretension, desiring only that his son remain an honest, hardworking farmer.
• Susan Howe: Michael’s daughter and William’s sister. Sweet, modest, and observant, she possesses a natural grace and acts as the perceptive mediator who guides her brother back to his senses.
• William Howe: Michael’s son, who fled to London after his heart was broken. Though he rises to foreman in a high-end shop and adopts the flashy clothes and carriage of a wealthy urban dandy, his core affection for his family and rural home remains intact.
• Mary Arnot: William’s childhood love. She resists an unwanted marriage arranged by her father, stays true to her feelings for William, and waits at the farm for his return.
• Monsieur Victor: An intensely groomed French perfumer and London neighbor who accompanies William on his journey, serving as the ultimate embodiment of foreign urban luxury.

In Its Own Voice

"I hate all make-believes, all shams; they're worse than poison;--and stinking of some outlandish scent, so that I'm forced to smoke a couple of pipes extra to get rid of the smell..."

Michael Howe expresses his intense irritation to his daughter over the musk-scented, brightly colored correspondence sent home from London by his son.

"...his waistcoat--talk of the great peacock, he would have seemed dingy and dusky beside such a splendour of colour!--his waistcoat literally dazzled poor Susan's eyes..."

The narrative illustrates Susan's absolute astonishment upon taking in William's flashy London wardrobe as they meet in the countryside lane.

"I know that you went away for love of Mary, and flung yourself into the finery of London to try to get rid of the thought of her..."

Susan gently confronts William, uncovering the true emotional motivation behind his sudden adoption of urban pretension and fine clothes.

What It's Really About

At its core, the story examines the tension between superficial urban sophistication and the quiet integrity of rural tradition. William’s dramatic wardrobe and foreign carriage are not signs of genuine change, but rather protective armor worn to conceal the pain of unrequited love and displacement. The narrative argues that genuine worth lies in authenticity, simple living, and local attachments rather than the fleeting glitter of city status. Through Susan's perceptive intervention, the plot demonstrates how true affection cuts through pride and ostentation. Ultimately, the work asks whether a person shaped by country roots can ever truly be satisfied by the artificial trappings of fashionable town life, concluding that home and honest relationships hold far greater weight.

Why Read It Today

Readers who appreciate classic English comedy, cozy village settings, and gentle social satire will find much to enjoy in this piece. It offers a delightfully lighthearted reading experience, filled with vivid descriptions of the 19th-century Berkshire countryside, colorful local dialogue, and affectionate family dynamics. The prose captures a sensory sense of place, from the wild harebells along the dirt lanes to the overwhelming perfume of the fine London visitor.

While the story is accessible and swift, modern readers should be prepared for its distinctly 19th-century regional outlook. The narrative reflects the insular, patriotic biases of its era, visible in Michael Howe's blunt distrust of foreign customs and urban fashions. Additionally, the plot relies on straightforward, romantic coincidences typical of period short fiction. Nevertheless, the warm humor, affectionate sibling bond between Susan and William, and the timeless critique of showing off make it a charming, satisfying portrait of rural English life that lingers like a crisp autumn afternoon.