CHAPTER VI
'MICHAEL VISITS  BETIINAL  GREEN
the feeling of depression with which Michael had come
back from the fount and origin was somewhat mitigated
by letters he was receiving from people of varying classes,
nearly all young. They were so nice and earnest. They
made him wonder whether after all practical politicians
were not too light-hearted, like the managers of music-
halls who protected the Public carefully from their more
tasteful selves. They made him feel that there might be
a spirit in the country that was not really represented in
the House, or even in the Press. Among these letters was
one which ran:
" Sunshine House,
" Bethnal Green.
" dear mr. mont,
" I was so awfully glad to read your speech in ^£ The
Times.' I instantly got Sir James Foggart's book. I
think the whole policy is simply splendid* You've no
idea how heart-breaking it is for us who try to do things
for children, to know that whatever we do is bound to be
snowed under by the life they go to when school age ends.
We have a good opportunity here of seeing the realities
of child life in London. It's wonderful -to see the fondness-
of the mothers for the little ones, in spite of their own
hard lives—though not all, of course, by any means; but
we often notice, and I think it's common experience, that
when the children get beyond ten or twelve, the fondness