360 



PATCHES AND THEIR PENALTIES. 



understand " why" they should go back. As she cast a second look 

 at the beadle, it seemed more imperatively to demand the reason of 

 exclusion ? The beadle pointed to the pinafores of the children ; 

 they were snow-white, it was true ; but they were yes, ye poor mo- 

 thers, and ye poor little boys ! they were they were they were 

 patched! Not only in one or in two places, but in a dozen were they 

 patched ! The mother could not deny the evidence ; the children 

 were branded ; even the excess of maternal love could not gloss the 

 sin ; and without seeking to excuse it, the woman meekly turned 

 away the boys casting a lingering look at the gravel-walks, the 

 water, and green sward. Cornelia showed her sons as her jewels ; 

 the sentiment, the valuation, was admitted; but then the Roman 

 boys had no patch in their garments ; they were jewels ; now, 

 little English boys, with patched pinafores, are only paste. 



The scene attempted to be described, conveying as it did a type, an 

 image of a great social evil, was still more fully worked out by the 

 incident which followed it. The mother and her young ones, denied 

 recreation within the enclosure, stood outside, with no complacent 

 eyes surveying the privileged folks within. The two boys, who at 

 first entered the gate with cheerful faces, now stood trying to poke 

 their heads through the iron railing, and, with sullen looks, endea- 

 vouring to catch a glimpse of the swans and water-fowl, fed by 

 happier children (without patches) on the bank. This may, perhaps, 

 be called a puerile matter ; but surely there are some who may see 

 in it a deep significance ; a serious drama albeit, the vicinity of 

 Buckingham Palace be the scene ; and a poor woman, with three 

 children, and a beadle, be the dramatis personce. 



Magna reverentia debetur pueris, saith the ancient. The lecture on 

 patches, given by the beadle to the boys, is not likely to be lost upon 

 them : such seed, fall where it will, falls not on barren ground ; and 

 as the seed, so the fruit. Are figs to be. gathered from brambles ? 

 What a ridiculous sermon (saith dne), on the patched pinafores of two 

 little boys ! We forget that the little boys and girls of to-day will 

 make the stirring world of a few years hence. We are too apt to 

 talk of the world as a mere figure of speech forgetful that it is 

 composed of so many million hearts and minds, each made what they 

 are by the operation of early sentiments. 



Now the sentiment preached to the two boys and it is a sentiment 

 preached from a thousand social pulpits nay, it is the every-day 

 text tells them that poverty is the great sin. The essence of the 

 homily is contained in this brief advice " Plunder, but never 

 patch." 



