In 1867 there
was a serious outbreak of Asiatic cholera in London, and my father
determined to have the water of the celebrated spring analysed.
There were loud protests at this:--what, analyse the finest
drinking-water in England! My father, however, persisted, and the
result of the analysis was that our incomparable drinking-water
was found to contain thirty per cent. of organic matter. The
analyst reported that fifteen per cent. of the water must be pure
sewage. My father had the spring sealed and bricked up at once,
but it is a marvel that we had not poisoned every single
inhabitant of the Mayfair district years before.
In the early "sixties" the barbarous practice of sending wretched
little "climbing boys" up chimneys to sweep them still prevailed.
In common with most other children of that day, I was perfectly
terrified when the chimney-sweep arrived with his attendant coal-
black imps, for the usual threat of foolish nurses to their
charges when they proved refractory was, "If you are not good I
shall give you to the sweep, and then you will have to climb up
the chimney.
Pages:
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45