2IO REMINISCENCES OF 



second and third rides. The first ride was only- 

 one point better than the second. At the conclusion 

 of the ride Major Tully came across the hall and 

 said, " I retract all I said to you at Islington ; it is 

 perfectly marvellous what you have succeeded in 

 doing, and I sincerely congratulate you ". We took 

 ^i,6oo at the doors, and after paying all expenses 

 gave the balance to military charities. 



1886. — I went over to Balcaskie to see Robert 

 Anstruther, who was not well. He was in the 

 drawing-room reading the newspaper. He said, 

 " When I shut one eye I can't see at all ". I took 

 up the paper, shut my left eye, and said, " By Jove, 

 I can't either". It was the first time I found out 

 that I was blind. For some time I had wiped the 

 right eye of my spectacles thinking that the glass was 

 in fault. 



I was staying with Mrs. Musters, in June, and 

 she advised me to go and consult Mr. Bell Taylor 

 at Nottingham, as he was very famous as an oculist. 

 I found his rooms, passages and staircase crowded 

 with people. When I got into his room he said, 

 " Well, sir, what is the matter with you ? " I said, 

 " I have a cataract in my right eye ". " Lucky it is 

 nothing worse." He then looked through a glass 

 (his own eye looked as if he could see through you) 

 and said, "Yes, that eye is fit to operate on ; I'll do 

 it now if you like ". I said, " Don't you be in a 

 hurry. How long do you want to keep me here?" 

 " About a fortnight or three weeks ". I said I had 

 to go to Perth for ten days' drill. He said, *' Come 



