They then collected money from the passers-by, making
usually quite a good haul. There were dozens of these "Jacks-in-
the-green" to be seen then on Mayday in the London streets, each
one with his attendant band of little black familiars. I summoned
up enough courage once to ask a small inky-black urchin whether he
had disobeyed his nurse very often in order to be condemned to
sweep chimneys. He gaped at me uncomprehendingly, with a grin; but
being a cheerful little soul, assured me that, on the whole, he
rather enjoyed climbing up chimneys.
It was my father and mother's custom in London to receive any of
their friends at luncheon without a formal invitation, and a
constant procession of people availed themselves of this
privilege. At six years of age I was promoted to lunch in the
dining-room with my parents, and I always kept my ears open. I had
then one brother in the House of Commons, and we being a
politically inclined family, most of the notabilities of the Tory
party put in occasional appearances at Chesterfield House at
luncheon-time. There was Mr.
Pages:
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50