Collections and recollections

The world is full of vague people and in the average man and still more in the average woman the chronological sense seems to be entirely wanting. Thus when I have occasionally stated in a mixed company that my first distinct recollection was the burning of Covent Garden Theatre I have seen a general expression of surprised interest and have been told in a tone meant to be kind and complimentary that my hearers would hardly have thought that my memory went back so far.