Chapter 1 Summary

Stephen Lewis is walking on the street when he encounters a young girl, a beggar, wearing a "faded yellow frock." Though he tends to give only minimal donations to the beggars he encounters, he gives the girl more and she is not thankful but derisive of his donation, calling him a "rich creep" as she walks away. Stephen continues on his journey and is soon enmeshed in a meeting of the Official Commission on Child Care's Subcommittee on Reading and Writing. The meetings are held at Whitehall and Stephen, as a noted writer of children's literature, seems expected to participate in at least some of the discussions. The meetings are overseen by Lord Parmenter who is always the last to arrive, requires the board members be punctual and opens each meeting by outlining what the committee is expected to accomplish during that meeting...