La plus ca change....

http://www.catholic.net/RCC/Periodicals/Dossier/0910-96/article2.html

In support of the thesis:There was a lot of mangled liturgy prior to Vatican II

This emphasis on the substantiality of the Eucharistic Presence, however, absolutely necessary as it was to preserve the Faith of the Church, could lead to an imbalance at the expense of the Eucharistic action. To take an extreme example: some places the laity, while Mass was going on, socialized outside in the churchyard until the time of the Consecration. Then a bell was rung to call them into the Church to see the Host elevated, after which they quickly returned to the yard and to their gossip!

Clearly, it is an improvement that today many socialize in the pews, during the consecration and don't allow their gossip to be interrupted by.... well, let's just say there's good reason not to ring those pesky bells at the elevation.

You know, the Panglossives (who masquerade as "Progressives") of the more learned stripe love to insist that in the bad olld day of Medieval spirituality, people ran from church to church, just to see the consecration, without ever assisting at Mass, (the un-learned type like to cite the old ladies saying rosaries during Mass in the Bad Old Days.)
I suppose the get it from Jungmann.
But I've never seen or heard of any primary source that verifies this being cited.
I would buy it, or at least think it plausible if they said "ran from altar to altar" since private Masses at multiple side altars in a large church or cathedral make the activity feasible.
But they always say "the faithful used to run from church to church" and I just don't believe it, (beside making me think they all picked it up at once, the opinion was officially issued to them via one article in Modern Liturgy, or the OCP quarterly, or Fred Moleck's column.)
How many towns or cities had numerous churches near enough to each other to make this possible? and how many world-class sprinters were there about?

Having said all that, it really is a good article by a Dominican priest, you should read it.