She had married a baker, a good kind of man, but tame. In summer-
time she not infrequently walked at five o'clock in the morning to a
pretty church about a mile and a half away, and read George Herbert
in the porch. She was no relation of mine, except by marriage to my
uncle, but she was most affectionate to me, and always loaded me
with nice things whenever I went to see her. The survival in my
memory of her cakes, gingerbread, and kisses; has done me more good,
moral good--if you have a fancy for this word--than sermons or
punishment.
My christian name of "Hale" comes from my grandmother, whose maiden
name was Hale. At the beginning of last century she and her two
brothers, William and Robert Hale, were living in Colchester.
William Hale moved to Homerton, and became a silk manufacturer in
Spitalfields. Homerton was then a favourite suburb for rich City
people. My great-uncle's beautiful Georgian house had a marble bath
and a Grecian temple in the big garden. Of Robert Hale and my
grandfather I know nothing. The supposed connexion with the
Carolean Chief Justice is more than doubtful.
To return to Bedford. In my boyhood it differed, excepting an
addition northwards a few years before, much less from Speed's map
of 1609 than the Bedford of 1910 differs from the Bedford of 1831.
Pages:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25