My hollerday, or sum of it, was spent in Hopen Spaces. Hif anybody as
has got two eyes in his hed, and a hart in his buzzom, wants for to
see what can be done with about 40 hakers of land--witch the most
respecfool Gardiner told me was about the size of the Queen's Park at
Kilburn--let him go there on a fine Summer's Arternoon, and see jest
about five thowsen children a playing about there, all free, and
hindependent, and appy, with two fountings to drink when they're ot
and thirsty, and a nice littel Jim Nasyum to climb up and down. They
ain't allowed to play at Cricket coz there ain't not room enuf, but
I did see two bold littel chaps, about six a peace, a breaking of the
Law, and a playing at the forbidden game, with a jacket for the wicket
and a stick for a Bat, and the kind-arted Gardiner hadn't got hart
enuff to stop 'em.
He told me as how, when the Copperashun fust took possesshun of it,
it was nothink but a Baron Swomp, but that, what with the spending of
lots of money, and the souperintending genus of Major MAKENZIE, in
two years it was maid to blossom like a rose. I spent a werry plessant
arternoon there, and drove home in style on the Box Seat of a reel
Company's Bus. The nex day I went to Higate Wood, another of the grate
works of the good old Copperashun. And lawks, what a difference! No
swarms of children a playing about on the grass, but lots and lots
on 'em a racing about among the hundreds of trees, and their warious
fathers and mothers a looking on with smiling faces and prowd looks.
There is one place in the werry middle of the Wood where no less than
sewen parths meets, and there the Copperashun Committee has bilt up a
bewtifool Founting, and a long hinskripshun in praise of Water, tho
I shood dout if they speaks from werry much pussonal xperience. I was
told as how, when they fust hopened the Founting, the Chairman made a
bewtifool speech, and ended by saying, "Water, brite Water for me, and
Wine for the trembling Debborshee," and then they all went off to a
jolly good dinner.
With that artistick taste as so distinguishes 'em, they have crissened
the place where the seven roads meets, "The Seven Dials." There was
crowds of peeple there, all enjoying of themselves in a nice quiet
way, and altogether it was a werry werry nice site.
The werry next day I started in the warm sunshine for pretty West Ham
Park, and had a leetle adwenture as ushal, for jest as I got there who
shoud I meet but the rayther sillybrated Parson of the Parish--tho'
judgin by aperiences I shoud have took him for the Bishop of
ESSEX--and seeing me in my new Hat and my best black Coat, he werry
naterally took me for a inquiring Wisitor, and told me all about the
good deed of the Copperashun in saving the Park for the good of the
Peeple. There was some werry little chaps a playing Cricket as before
despite of the Law, and they had a reel bat too, and one on 'em,
seeing me a looking on apruvingly, gave the ball such a tremenjus blow
that he got a tooer, so I called out braywo!
There seemed a lot of washing going on jest outside the Park, the
white shirts and settera, flustering gaily in the breeze. But, as the
Poet says, "they're allus Washing somewheres in the World!" The common
peeple was orderd to walk on the footpaths, but a gardiner told me as
them orders was not ment for such as me. I had a most copious Lunch
for tuppense in the helegant Pawillion, and being in a jowial and
ginerus mood, I treated six of the jewwenile natives to a simmeler
Bankwet. Then there is the sillibrated Band as the Copperashun
perwides twice a week, on which occasions reserwed seats is charged
a penny each. The werry adwanced state of the musical taste of the
nayberhood may be judged by the fact, that at a Concert close by, a
"Ode to a Butterfly" was to be played on a base Trombone!
The Gardiner told me as there was such a crowd of children on larst
Bank Hollerday that there was hardly room to move about, tho' the Park
is 80 hakers big; but as I am told that such a space wood hold
about 80 thousand, quite cumferal, I thinks as he must have slitely
xadgerated.