The essays of Elia . ork in the case, or I am it probable that a poor child of that description,with whatever weariness he might be visited, would haveventured, under such a penalty as he would be taughtto expect, to uncover the sheets of a Dukes bed, anddeliberately to lay himself down between them, whenthe rug or the carpet presented an obvious couch, stillfar above his pretensions—is this probable, I wouldask, if the great power of nature, which I contend for,had not been manifested within him, prompting to theadventure ? Doubtless this young nobleman (for suchmy mind misgives m
The essays of Elia . ork in the case, or I am it probable that a poor child of that description,with whatever weariness he might be visited, would haveventured, under such a penalty as he would be taughtto expect, to uncover the sheets of a Dukes bed, anddeliberately to lay himself down between them, whenthe rug or the carpet presented an obvious couch, stillfar above his pretensions—is this probable, I wouldask, if the great power of nature, which I contend for,had not been manifested within him, prompting to theadventure ? Doubtless this young nobleman (for suchmy mind misgives me that he must be) was alluredby some memory, not amounting to full consciousness,of his condition in infancy, when he was used to be lappedby his mother, or his nurse, in just such sheets as hethere found, into which he was now but creeping backas into his proper incunabula and resting-place.—By noother theory than by this sentiment of a pre-existentstate (as I may call it) can I explain a deed so venturous, 184. A LOST CHIMNEY SWEEPER. THE PRAISE OF CHIMNEY-SWEEPERS and, indeed, upon any other system so indecorous,in this tender, but unseasonable, sleeper. My pleasant friend Jem White was so impressed with a belief of metamorphoses like this frequently taking place that, in some sort to reverse the wrongs of fortune in these poor changelings, he instituted an annual feast of chimney-sweepers, at which it was his pleasure to officiate as host and waiter. It was a solemn supper held in Smithfield, upon the yearly return of the fair of St. Bartholomew. Cards were issued a week before to the master-sweeps in and about the metropolis, confining the invitation to their younger fry. Now and then an elderly stripling would get in among us, and be good-naturedly winked at; but our main body were infantry. One unfortunate wight, indeed, who, relying upon his dusky suit, had intruded himself into our party, but by tokens was providentially discovered in time to be no chimney-sweeper
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Keywords: ., bookauthorlambchar, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookyear1910
