Читать книгу The Oaken Heart онлайн

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Primarily, village cricket is a performance, and has something in common with the Lancers and much with the Harlequinade. It epitomises the very English secret of combining individualism with co-operative effort. Each player has his chance to shine alone, and yet his final success or failure is the team's. Best of all, the day is never lost until it is won. At any moment a thumping miracle may happen, and usually it does. In fact there is a lot of magic in it, and I do not use the word in any poetic sense. The whole business has something of the elements of a rustic charm, and on the right day, in the leafy privacy of the meadow and conducted by the right country people, a very potent sort of atmosphere indeed can be conjured up.

August Monday 1938 in Auburn was one of those occasions. The lunch, or Feed, at which as many as could find places sat down and the rest of us waited our turn after doing our share with the serving, took place as usual under the ilex-tree in the Lady Garden because no room in the house could hold us.