WALKS. 



93 



My father's midday walk generally began by a call at the 

 greenhouse, where he looked at any germinating seeds or 

 experimental plants which required a casual examination, but 

 he hardly ever did any serious observing at this time. Then 

 he went on for his constitutional — either round the " Sand- 

 walk," or outside his own grounds in the immediate neigh- 

 bourhood of the house. The " Sand-walk " was a narrow 

 strip of land i^ acres in extent, with a gravel-walk round it. 

 On one side of it was a broad old shaw with fair-sized oaks 

 in it, which made a sheltered shady walk ; the other side was 

 separated from a neighbouring grass field by a low quickset 

 hedge, over which you could look at what view there was, a 

 quiet little valley losing itself in the upland country towards 

 the edge of the Westerham hill, with hazel coppice and larch 

 wood, the remnants of what was once a large wood, stretch- 

 ing away to the Westerham road. I have heard my father 

 say that the charm of this simple little valley helped to make 

 him settle at Down. 



The Sand-walk was planted by my father with a variety 

 of trees, such as hazel, alder, lime, hornbeam, birch, privet, 

 and dogwood, and with a long line of hollies all down the 

 exposed side. In earlier times he took a certain number of 

 turns every day, and used to count them by means of a heap 

 of flints, one of which he kicked out on the path each time 

 he passed. Of late years I think he did not keep to any 

 fixed number of turns, but took as many as he felt strength 

 for. The Sand-walk was our play-ground as children^ and 

 here we continually saw my father as he walked round. He 

 liked to see what we were doing, and was ever ready to sym- 

 pathize in any fun that was going on. It is curious to think 

 how, with regard to the Sand-walk in connection with my 

 father, my earliest recollections coincide with my latest ; it 

 shows how unvarying his habits have been. 



Sometimes when alone he stood still or walked stealthily 

 to observe birds or beasts. It was on one of these occasions 

 that some young squirrels ran up his back and legs, while 

 their mother barked at them in an agony from the tree. He 



