The Young - Saki Sta,—In Mr. Hudson's comments in the Spectator
on the book The Best of Saki, selected and with an introduction by Graham Greene, he mentions the extraordinary delusion that some writers on Saki have had, that he had "a miserable childhood." He had nothing of the sort. He and my other brother and myself this sister) enjoyed our childhood in our grandmother's house, and, being blessed with amazing vitality and love of mischief, rode over all storms with an appetite for the next I. When forbidden visits were paid to the lumber- room, with knowledge of the punishment that would follow if found out, those visits were naturally intensely exciting,-and exciting events were continually happening in that house.. I should say th&tt the stern discipline he had in early life, far from causing a "cruel element" in him. was enough to make him detest cruelty in any form but not enough to stop him from writing about it. He once said to me that, in spite of our strict upbringing and having no other children to play with, he was glad of it, as otherwise we should never have
Previous page
