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RAIN AND LACK OF RAIN 235neighbourly encounters, for exchanging news, formaking acquaintances and handing on messages.It is a sort of central point to keep us all in touchwith one another. I am not sure that anythingquite takes its place. These engineers andplumbers and such people have a good deal toanswer for. I suppose that as we get more andmore scared about our failingcoal supply thatother age-old institution of the fire-side will alsohave to go. Each of us will sit apart, on chillywinter nights, hugging perhaps more literallythis time his private radiator, and familylifewill suffer a blow from which it may never recover.Certainly many of my own most valuable encounterswhen caravanning have taken placewhile my bucket filled at the spring.Very little of that precious water was allowedto go to waste, and I had to watch my opportunityto get my own supplies, for throughout theevening hours the steady stream of new arrivalswent on, and generally several were waiting fortheir turn. And in that matter the mode of procedurewhich Imay well believe is as old asthe hills, as old in any case as the time when firstmankind carried water in vessels was not toform a waiting queue, but to set down yourbucket in its due order to represent you and then