Cut and Come Again

H.E. Bates's fifth collection is a sparkling body of work full of stories of childhood. Geoffrey West observed the collection overall as "e;bright with life, with individuals alive and interacting, and with the sweeping beauties of broad country backgrounds."e;Often cited as one of Bates's best stories, 'The Mill' relates the misfortune of a young girl in service. Bates was inspired by the daughter of a travelling greengrocer who called on his family: "e;It seemed to me a face moulded out of yellow clay: a face born to tragedy. I believe it is true that Hardy saw his Tess only once and from that fleeting experience, haunted also by a face, created his celebrated novel. We get a glimpse into Bates's negative experiences of education in both 'Little Fish', where a boy observes his father, normally a man "e;terrifying everyone in spasms of half-theatrical anger"e; become, in the presence of a school administrator, furtive and apprehensive; and in 'Jonah and Bruno', a classroom tale involving an arrogant and dictatorial teacher, a rebellious smart-mouthed student, and the eventual humiliation of the teacher by an intervening soldier.Comic relief comes in the form of witty characterisation and dialogue in 'The Irishman', and in 'The Revelation', a charming tale where the young narrator observes the housekeeper giving an elderly Uncle Silas his weekly bath; between roasting "e;taters"e; and drinking wine, Silas relates his childhood follies, including the time he chased a young woman "e;across the meadow with my clothes under her arms,"e; which leads to a tender twist in the tale.