Povey Prattle

I have now completed my reading of Bill Bryson’s “At Home – A Short History of Private Life”  (Anchor Books 2010). Bryson is an American author who has chosen to live in Great Britain.  He loves the British Isles, and writes with fondness and wit about British Life, Disclaimer – I once met Mr. Bryson at a recording of a B.B.C. radio programme. in London . In “At Home – A Short History of Private Life” Mr. Bryson writes about the house in which he and his wife live in (it’s in Norfolk U.K.) and the historical antecedents of its various rooms.  It’s a great read. In his chapter on “The Drawing Room” Bryson tells us that at one time (in middle class homes), all the furniture would be placed around the wall of the room.  This (in the days before electric light) made it easier for folks to walk though the room without tripping against furniture. When guests arrived the custom was to arrange the chairs in a circle or semi-circle, rather, as Bryson notes “like the...

We, on both sidesof the Atlantic, have heard all the verifiable and well documented stories of the young woman who have baby after baby in order to stay on welfare (ahem). There is nothing new under the sun. An 1834 Commission under the leadership of one Edwin Chadwick produced a 13 volume report regarding the reform of the British Poor Laws. Bill Bryson in his book “At Home – A short history of Private Life “ (Anchor Books 2011)  writes as follows: “The commissioners report fulmigated against those “who value parish parish support as their privilege and demand it as their right” Poor relief had become so generously available, the commissioners believed, that “it appears to the pauper that the Government has undertaken to repeal, in his favour, the ordinary laws of nature; to enact that the children shall not suffer for the misconduct of their parents – the wife for that of the husband, or the husband for that of the wife; that no one shall lose the means of comfortable...

Bill Bryson in his book “At Home – A short history of Private Life “Anchor Books 2011 )  dis-abuses  us of the notion that between the 13th  and 19th  centuries the death of a child was rarely mourned . (see Chapter 18 “The Nursery”.) We have come to accept this notion without serious critique, based on our belief that in earlier days the deaths of children were to be expected and thus were rarely mourned.  Bryson, in his inimitable way sets the record straight. Here for example are the words of William Shakespeare in his play “King John” ( as quoted by Bryson.). Shakespeare penned them soon after the death of his 11 years old son. in 1596. “Grief fills the room up of my empty child, Lies in his bed, walks up and down with me, Puts on his pretty looks, repeats his words, Remembers me of all his gracious parts, Stuffs out his recent garments with his form, In honour of my nephews Jack Leonard Lambert (sudden infant death),and Thomas Povey, ...

“Perhaps no other word in English has undergone more transformations in its lifetime than toilet. Originally, in about 1540, it was a diminutive form of toile, a word still used to describe a form of linen.  Then it became a cloth for use on dressing tables. Then it became the items on the dressing table (whence toiletries).  Then it became the dressing table itself,  then the act of dressing, then the act of receiving visitors while dressing,  then the dressing room itself,  then any kind of private room near a bedroom,  then a room used lavatorially,  and finally the lavatory itself. Which explains why toilet water in English can describe something you would gladly daub on your face or, simultaneously and more basically, water in the toilet.” From “At Home”, Anchor Books 2010, by Bill Bryson,  pp 417/418

Attributed  to Cicero ( 106 - 41 B.C.) Thanks to Tess Pope for the heads up on this.

Off I went on Sunday 24th June 2012 to take an Air-Tran flight from Sarasota Fl to Atlanta GA. Despite the heavy rains and fierce winds from tropical storm “Debby,  the flight left on time and arrived in Atlanta ten minutes early. My friend Susan and Lisa met me at the airport. I have known Susan for more than 30 years.  We first met when I was a chaplain at Camp Bement – the summer camp for children in the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts. My love and respect for Susan grew more and more when I became the Rector at St. Stephen’s Parish in Pittsfield, MA. I knew her as a high school, college, and law school student.  I was delighted to meet Lisa when she and Susan became partners in Atlanta. So they met me at the airport, and then we worshipped and prayed together at their home Church (Trinity United Methodist Church), just across the street from Atlanta’s City Hall. Trinity has  gorgeous building and a sadly declining, but very joyous  co...