NUNBURNHOLME 61 



years to come of his little gift and few kind 

 words." 



His one great aim in life was to do what good 

 he could, and, as far as he was concerned, to leave 

 the world better than he found it. To one thus 

 impressed and determined, every day brought more 

 work than he could possibly get through, even in 

 so small a parish as Nunburnholme. 



His literary labours were of the most varied kinds 

 imaginable, for there were few subjects that could 

 be named in which he did not feel some interest. 



For the first three and a half years of his residence 

 here the "History of British Birds" was in course 

 of publication, and naturally absorbed a consider- 

 able amount of time. His business transactions 

 with Mr. Fawcett of Driffield were at this time, 

 and for many years afterwards, very numerous, and 

 meetings between the two took place frequently. 

 The railway from York at that time did not extend 

 beyond Market Weighton, and consequently the 

 fourteen miles from Nunburnholme to Drimeld 

 had to be driven or walked ; it was not seldom 

 that my father did the latter. His walking powers 

 were so extraordinary that many people used to 

 remark upon them with expressions of astonish- 

 ment ; a distance, therefore, of that kind was no- 

 thing to him, except for the time it took to cover. 

 On one occasion he walked from Drimeld to 

 Nunburnholme before breakfast, and when he 

 reached home he was neither hungry, thirsty, nor 

 tired. His pace was terrific. He had but little flesh 



