Autobiographical Sketches by Annie Besant
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Autobiographical Sketches
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Title: Autobiographical Sketches
Author: Annie Besant
Release Date: February 29, 2004 [EBook #11376]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL
SKETCHES.
BY
ANNIE BESANT
1885.
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
I am so often asked for references to some pamphlet or journal in which may be found some outline of my life, and the enquiries are so often couched in terms of such real kindness, that I have resolved to pen a few brief autobiographical sketches, which may avail to satisfy friendly questioners, and to serve, in some measure, as defence against unfair attack.
I.
On October 1st, 1847, I made my appearance in this "vale of tears", "little Pheasantina", as I was irreverently called by a giddy aunt, a pet sister of my mother's. Just at that time my father and mother were staying within the boundaries of the City of London, so that I was born well "within the sound of Bow bells".
Though born in London, however, full three quarters of my blood are Irish. My dear mother was a Morris--the spelling of the name having been changed from Maurice some five generations back--and I have often heard her tell a quaint story, illustrative of that family pride whi