My life : a record of events and opinions - Wallace-online.org
My life : a record of events and opinions - Wallace-online.org My life : a record of events and opinions - Wallace-online.org
20 MY LIFEhair was of a very light flaxen tint, so that I wasgenerally spoken of among the Welsh-speaking countrypeople as the " little Saxon."My recollections of our leaving Usk and of thejourney to London are very faint, only one incidentof it being clearly visualized—the crossing the Severnat the Old Passage in an open ferry-boat. This isvery clear to me, possibly because it was the firsttime I had ever been in a boat. I remember sittingwith my mother and sisters on a seat at one side ofthe boat, which seemed to me about as wide as asmall room, of its leaning over so that we were closeto the water, and especially of the great boom of themainsail, when our course was changed, requiring usall to stoop our heads for it to swing over us. It wasa little awful to me, and I think we were all gladwhen it was over and we were safe on land again.We must have travelled all day by coach from Uskto the Severn, then on to Bristol, then from Bristolto London, where we stayed at an inn inOf the next few months of my lifeHolborn.I have also butslight recollections, confined to some isolated facts orincidents. On leaving the inn we went to my aunt'sat Dulwich. I remember being much impressed withthe large house, and especially with the beautifulgrounds, with lawns, trees, and shrubs such as I hadnever seen before. There was here also a family ofcousins, some about my own age, and the few dayswe stayed were very bright and enjoyable. ThenceI was sent to a school in Essex, with some ladies whohad about half a dozen boys and girls of my own age.My next recollections are of the town of Hertford,where we lived for eight or nine years, and where Ireceived the whole of my school education. We hada small house, the first of a row of four at the
MY EARLIEST MEMORIES 21beginning of St. Andrew's Street ; and I must havebeen a little more than six years old when I firstremember myself in this house, which had a verynarrow yard at the back, and a dwarf wall, perhapsfive feet high, between us and the adjoining house.The very first incident I remember, which happened,I think, on the morning after my arrival, was of aboy about my own age looking over this wall, who atonce inquired, " Hullo ! who are you } " I told himthat I had just come, and what my name was, andwe at once made friends. The stand of a water-buttenabled me to get up and sit upon the wall, and bymeans of some similar convenience he could do thesame, and we were thus able to sit side by side andtalk, or get over the wall and play together when weliked. Thus began the friendship of George Silk andAlfred Wallace, which, with long intervals of absenceat various periods, has continued to this day.The old town of Hertford, in which I passed themost impressionable years of my life, and where Ifirst obtained a rudimentary acquaintance with myfellow-creatures and with nature, is, perhaps, on thewhole, one of the most pleasantly situated countytowns in England, although as a boy I did not knowthis, and did not appreciate the many advantages Ienjoyed. Among its most delightful features arenumerous rivers and streams in the immediately surroundingcountry, affording pleasant walks throughflowery meads, many picturesque old mills, and agreat variety of landscape. The river Lea, comingfrom the south-west, passes through the middle of thetown, where the old town-mill was situated in anopen space called the Wash, which was no doubtliable to be flooded in early times. The miller wasreputed to be one of the richest men in the town, yet
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- Page 15 and 16: CONTENTSCHAPTERPAGEI. My Relatives
- Page 17 and 18: ILLUSTRATIONSAlfred R. WallaceFront
- Page 19 and 20: MY LIFEA RECORD OF EVENTS AND OPINI
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- Page 31: MARY ANNE WALLACE. AGED 1 8.{.4i ti
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MY EARLIEST MEMORIES 21beginning <strong>of</strong> St. Andrew's Street ; <strong>and</strong> I must havebeen a little more than six years old when I firstremember myself in this house, which had a verynarrow yard at the back, <strong>and</strong> a dwarf wall, perhapsfive feet high, between us <strong>and</strong> the adjoining house.The very first incident I remember, which happened,I think, on the morning after my arrival, was <strong>of</strong> aboy about my own age looking over this wall, who atonce inquired, " Hullo ! who are you } " I told himthat I had just come, <strong>and</strong> what my name was, <strong>and</strong>we at once made friends. The st<strong>and</strong> <strong>of</strong> a water-buttenabled me to get up <strong>and</strong> sit upon the wall, <strong>and</strong> bymeans <strong>of</strong> some similar convenience he could do thesame, <strong>and</strong> we were thus able to sit side by side <strong>and</strong>talk, or get over the wall <strong>and</strong> play together when weliked. Thus began the friendship <strong>of</strong> Ge<strong>org</strong>e Silk <strong>and</strong>Alfred <strong>Wallace</strong>, which, with long intervals <strong>of</strong> absenceat various periods, has continued to this day.The old town <strong>of</strong> Hertford, in which I passed themost impressionable years <strong>of</strong> my <strong>life</strong>, <strong>and</strong> where Ifirst obtained a rudimentary acquaintance with myfellow-creatures <strong>and</strong> with nature, is, perhaps, on thewhole, one <strong>of</strong> the most pleasantly situated countytowns in Engl<strong>and</strong>, although as a boy I did not knowthis, <strong>and</strong> did not appreciate the many advantages Ienjoyed. Among its most delightful features arenumerous rivers <strong>and</strong> streams in the immediately surroundingcountry, affording pleasant walks throughflowery meads, many picturesque old mills, <strong>and</strong> agreat variety <strong>of</strong> l<strong>and</strong>scape. The river Lea, comingfrom the south-west, passes through the middle <strong>of</strong> thetown, where the old town-mill was situated in anopen space called the Wash, which was no doubtliable to be flooded in early times. The miller wasreputed to be one <strong>of</strong> the richest men in the town, yet
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