The middle-aged men stood this continuous drinking without much harm, their constitutions having become hardened and 'set,' but it killed off numbers of the younger men.
They drank ale principally--strong ale, for at that time in lonely farmhouses they were guiltless of wines and spirits.

But the enormous price of 50_l._ per load suggested luxuries, and it was old Jonathan at The Idovers who introduced gin.

Till then no gin even--nothing but ale--had been consumed in that far-away spot; but Jonathan brought in the gin, which speedily became popular.

He called it 'spoon-drink' (a spoon being used with the sugar) as a distinguishing name, and as spoon-drink accordingly it was known.

When any one desired to reduce the strength of his glass, they did indeed pour him out some more water from the kettle; but having previously filled the kettle with the spirit, his last state became worse than the first.
While thus they revelled, the labourers worked with the flails in the barn threshing out the truly golden grain.