y6 MY LIFE 



my father's, and I well remember a wood-cut illustration of 

 Dove Dale with greatly exaggerated rocks and pinnacles, 

 which made me long to see such a strange and picturesque 

 spot — a longing which I only gratified about a dozen years 

 ago, finding it more exquisitely beautiful than I had imagined 

 it to be, even if not quite so fantastic. 



I may now say a few words about our home-life as regards 

 meals and other small matters, because I think its simplicity 

 was perhaps better for children than what is common now. 

 Till we reached the age of ten or twelve we never had tea or 

 coffee, our breakfast consisting of bread-and-milk and our 

 tea of milk-and-water with bread-and-butter. Toast, cake, 

 muffins, and such luxuries were only indulged in on festive 

 occasions. At our one-o'clock dinner we began with pudding 

 and finished with meat and vegetables. During this period 

 we made our own bread, and good wholesome bread it was, 

 made with brewer's yeast (which I often went for to the 

 brewery), and sent to the nearest baker to be baked, as were 

 most of our baked pies and puddings. Kitcheners were almost 

 unknown then, and meat was roasted before the open fire with 

 a clock-work jack, dripping-pan, and large tinned screen to 

 reflect the heat and to warm plates and dishes. 



A few words about the cost of living will not be out of 

 place here, and will serve to correct some erroneous ideas on 

 the subject. Tea was about double the price it is now, but 

 coffee and cocoa were about the same as at present; and 

 these latter were commonly used for breakfast, while tea was 

 only taken at tea, and then only by the older members of the 

 family. Sugar was also more than twice as dear, but milk, 

 eggs, and butter were all cheaper. Although this was in the 

 corn-law days I doubt if our bread was any dearer than it is 

 now, and it was certainly much better. It was ground in the 

 mills of the town from wheat grown in the country round, and 

 the large size of the penny rolls, which I have already men- 

 tioned, shows that there cannot have been much difference 

 of price to the retail buyer, who was then usually one or two 

 steps nearer to the actual corn-grower than he is now. Meat 



