Rusticus : $b Or, the future of the countryside

"Rusticus: Or, the Future of the Countryside" by Martin S. Briggs examines the shifting face of the English countryside in the early 1900s, focusing on the tension between progress and preservation; as an Englishman journeys back to his homeland after a long absence, he witnesses alarming changes in Kent due to industrial expansion and new transit options, including the disappearance of age-old villages and ugly new buildings. He sets out to criticize these modern forces and express his feelings for a need to bring back the beauty and charm of the countryside. The journey through Kent reveals the character's rising concerns about maintaining the natural appeal of England amid the rise of modernization and business.