Part I: 1. The village; Part II. The Present Time: 2. Self-reliance; 3. Man and wife; 4. Manifold troubles; 5. Drink; 6. Ways and means; 7. Good temper; Part III. The Altered Circumstances: 8. The peasant system; 9. The new thrift; 10. Competition; 11. Humiliation; 12. The humiliated; 13. Notice to quit; Part IV. The Resulting Needs: 14. The initial defect; 15. The opportunity; 16. The obstacles; 17. The women's need; 18. The want of book-learning; 19. Emotional starvation; 20. The children's need; Part V: 20. The forward movement.