LITMIR.BIZ

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target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="#u031fede0-7244-4871-bbbb-566ef13c54c1">[87] J. P.: justice of the peace.

[88] Calico: white cotton cloth called calico in England, to distinguish it from print.

[89] Smock frocks: coarse white frocks worn by farm laborers.

[90] Yule-tide: Christmas. Clubs are formed by the poor several months in advance, to furnish coal, clothes, and poultry for Christmas time,—each member contributing a few pence weekly.

[91] Mummers: maskers, merrymakers in fantastic costumes.

[92] Vernacular: one's native tongue.

[93] Ten-pound doctor: a quack doctor.

[94] Mysteries: rude dramatic plays of a religious character, once very popular.

[95] Lieges: loyal subjects.

[96] Jobbers: speculators or members of corrupt political rings.

[97] Assizes or Quarter Sessions: sessions of courts of justice.

[98] Yeomanry review: a review of the county militia.

[99] Don: a nickname for a university professor.

[100] Sirens: sea-nymphs who enticed sailors into their power by their singing, and then devoured them.

[101] Clement's Inn: formerly a college and residence for law students in London. It is now given up to law offices.

[102] Hop-picking: all the vagabonds of London go to Kent and Surrey in the autumn to pick hops for the farmers, regarding the work as a kind of vacation frolic.

[103] Courier: a person hired by wealthy travellers to go in advance and engage rooms at hotels, etc.

[104] Imperial: the best seat on a French diligence or stage-coach.

[105] Comme le limaçon, etc.: like the snail, carrying all his baggage, his furniture, and his house.

[106] Chalet (shal-ay'): a Swiss herdsman's hut.

[107] Kraal: a Hottentot hut or village.

[108] "Sar' it out": deal it out.

[109] "Holus bolus": all at once.

CHAPTER II.

       Table of Contents

THE "VEAST."

       Table of Contents

      "And the King commandeth and forbiddeth, that from henceforth neither fairs nor markets be kept in church-yards, for the honor of the church."—Statutes: 13 Edw. I. Stat. II. Chap. VI.

As that venerable and learned poet[1] (whose voluminous works we all think it the correct thing to admire and talk about, but don't read often) most truly says, "The child is father to the man;" a fortiori,[2] therefore he must be father to the boy." So, as we are going at any rate to see Tom Brown through his boyhood, supposing we never get any farther (which, if you show a proper sense of the value of this history, there is no knowing but what we may), let us have a look at the life and environments[3] of the child, in the quiet country village to which we were introduced in the last chapter.

      TOM BROWN'S NURSE.

Tom, as has been already said, was a robust and combative urchin, and at the age of four began to struggle against the yoke and authority of his nurse. That functionary[4] was a good-hearted, tearful, scatter-brain[5] girl, lately taken by Tom's mother, Madam Brown, as she was called, from the village school to be trained as nursery-maid. Madam Brown was a rare trainer of servants, and spent herself freely in the profession; for profession it was, and gave her more trouble by half than many people take to earn a good income. Her servants were known and sought after for miles round. Almost all the girls who attained a certain place in the village school were taken by her, one or two at a time, as house-maids, laundry-maids, nursery-maids, or kitchen-maids, and, after a year or two's drilling, were started in life amongst the neighboring families, with good principles and wardrobes. One of the results of this system was the perpetual despair of Mrs. Brown's cook and own maid, who no sooner had a notable[6] girl made to their hands, than missus was sure to find a good place for her and send her off, taking in fresh importations from the school. Another was, that the house was always full of young girls with clean, shining faces; who broke plates and scorched linen, but made an atmosphere of cheerful homely life about the place, good for every one who came within its influence. Mrs. Brown loved young people, and in fact human creatures in general, above plates and linen. They were more like a lot of elder children than servants, and felt to her more as a mother or aunt than as a mistress.

      Tom's nurse was one who took in her instruction very slowly,—she seemed to have two left hands and no head; and so Mrs. Brown kept her on longer than usual that she might expend her awkwardness and forgetfulness upon those who would not judge and punish her too strictly for them.

Charity Lamb was her name. It had been the immemorial habit of the village to christen children either by Bible names, or by those of the cardinal[7] and other virtues; so that one was forever hearing in

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