XXX. THE REV. C. W. H. DICKER. 



serve, one at least of which was built through his efforts, and 

 this involved incessant riding and driving over rough country. 

 On more than one occasion he met with serious accidents, as 

 he was quite fearless. (Indeed, previously he had been very 

 nearly drowned while yachting in the River Derwent near 

 Hobart, a sudden gust from the mountain having upset his 

 boat, when he risked his life supporting his young companion 

 for a long time, until he was completely exhausted, and was 

 barely saved by a boat coming to his rescue.) While Rector 

 of Hamilton he married a Tasmanian lady, but her early death, 

 leaving him with an infant son, led to his return to England, 

 where his sisters took the mother's place, in 1897. After six 

 years spent at Portslade and Norwood, Archdeacon Dundas 

 invited him to become his colleague once more, at Char- 

 minster. Thus commenced Mr. Dicker's personal knowledge 

 of Dorset, to which he became so deeply attached (though 

 he had a connexion with it through his uncle, the Rev. 

 Melville Lee, formerly Rector of Bridport, and his 

 father served at Chideock for a short time). In 1905 

 Bishop Wordsworth appointed him Vicar of Pydel- 

 trenthide, where he faced the difficult circumstances 

 existing at that time with characteristic courage, and 

 ~by persevering work and ready self-denial won the 

 hearts of his parishioners. In 1908 the Bishop showed 

 his recognition of Mr. Dicker's work by making him Rural 

 Dean of Whitchurch (Bere Regis portion), and more than 

 once subsequently spoke of the able manner in which he 

 fulfilled the duties of that office, and the ideal character of 

 his triennial Report. Quite recently the present Bishop of 

 Salisbury invited him to undertake the widely-extended 

 parish of Broadwindsor, where he was to have moved in a 

 few weeks' time, and to his work in which he was looking 

 forward with hopeful anticipation. 



But it was not to be. On Monday morning, 26th August, 

 he started from home, especially bright and happy, intending 

 to go for a few days' holiday to visit a brother at Emsworth. 

 But within five minutes, and before he had got outside the 



