CHAPTER XVII 



THE CLOSE OF THE DAY 



My brother died on Monday, the 22nd of January, 191 2, and 

 his funeral was fixed to take place at Edmondthorpe on the 

 Friday following. I had come up from Cornwall the day 

 before to pay my tribute of respect to the brother I had loved 

 so long and so well. 



Owing no doubt to my being in deep mourning, the people 

 in the carriage from Euston seemed to have an intuition that I 

 was closely connected with the sad event which had shocked 

 the whole sporting community in the Midlands for the time 

 being. I had come some 500 miles, and their silent sympathy 

 was very welcome. Indeed one lady insisted on my sharing 

 her tea-basket, and would neither allow me to pay my share, 

 nor hardly to thank her. Almost at every station down the 

 line, boxes were handed to the guard, evidently containing 

 those last tokens of affection and respect offered by the living 

 to the dead. 



My nephew Richard Maunsell Richardson, one of my eldest 

 brother's sons, whom I found at Ashwell station, and who is 

 a fine musician, told me he was to play the organ at his 

 Uncle Maunsell's funeral the next day in Edmondthorpe 

 church. 



His renderings of the music included in the service were 

 commended on all sides, and undoubtedly helped to make the 



169 



