The Days Before Yesterday (Classic Reprint)

CHAPTER I
Early days-Tho passage of many terrors-Crocodiles, grizzlios and hunchbacks-An adventurous journey and its reward -The famous spring in South Audley Street-Climbing chimney-sweeps-The story of Mrs. Montagu's son-The sweeps' carnival-Disraeli-Lord John Russell-A child's ideas about the Whigs-The Earl of Aberdeen-" Old Brown Broad ' '?-Sir Edwin Landseer, a great family friend -A live lion at a tea-party-Landseer as an artist-Some of his vagaries--His frescoes at Ardverikie-TTia latter days -A devoted friend-His last Academy picture.
I was bom the thirteenth child of a family of fourteen, on the thirteenth day of the month, and I have for many years resided at No. 13 in a certain street in Westminster. In spite of the popular prejudice attached to this numeral, I am not conscious of having derived any particular ill-fortune from my accidental association with it.
Owing to my sequence in the family procession, I found myself on my entry into the world already equi

Table of Contents

CONTENTS; CHAPTER I; Early days-Tho passage of many terrors-Crocodiles, grizzlies and hunchbacks-An adventurous journejr'and its reward-The famous apriug in South Audlcy Street-Climbing chimnc3'-swceps-The story of Mrs Montagu's son-The sweeps' carnival-Disraofi-Lord John Rnssell-A child's ideas about the Whigs-The Earl of Aberdeen-"Old Brown Bread"-Sir Edwin Laudsecr, a great family friend-A live lion at a tea-party-Laodseer as an artist-8ome of his vagaries-His frescoes at Ardverikio-His latter days-A devoted friond-His last Academy picture ; CHAPTER II; The "swells" of the "sixties"-Old Lord Claud Hamilton-My first presentation to Queen Victoria-Scandalous behaviour of a brother -Queen Victoria's letters-Her character and strong comniou senso-My mother's recollections of George III and Georg