This novel was writen in his later lifePip, a boy of the marshes, is being "raised by hand" by his shrieking harridan of an older sister and her seemingly doltish husband, the blacksmith Joe Gargery.
These are standard Russian peasant staples, and there is an old Russian saying that goes, "Shchi ee kasha, pisha nasha" which means "Shchi and kasha, that's our fare".
Yes, indeed, cried Mrs. Bennet, offended by his manner of mentioning a country neighbourhood. I assure you there is quite as much of that going on in the country as in town.
And with salaries often as low as a few hundred dollars a month, midwives stationed in the countryside, where there is often little to no electricity and hardly any medical supplies, often migrate back to the cities.
On the afternoon which followed the evening of its release John's rustic solitude was suddenly broken by the arrival overhead of a great swarm of helicopters.
'I have, ' he answered slowly, 'but remember I am only a poor country vicar, and can't offer you a job with a high salary, so you may not wish to accept it.
In the country the violin sounded in the room of the peasant; the newly-baked cakes were attacked; even the poorest child said, " It is really delightful here in winter! " Yes, it was delightful.
Well, shock, horror, Neil, I won't be taking my clothes off anytime soon – it's too cold anyway and I don't want to be bitten by all those bugs you get in the countryside.