CHAPTER XXIII 



Some Echoes of the Past A Surprise Packet Apple Grafting How 

 the Secretary was elected in old time. 



IN pursuit of the collecting hobby, to which I 

 have already referred, I was once favoured 

 in a remarkable way by chance, for had I 

 formulated a design to obtain what fell into my 

 hands by pure accident, the odds were a thousand 

 to one against its effecting its purpose. 



At autograph sales, persons, who, like myself, 

 are bounded by certain obvious limitations, have, 

 when commissions are being executed for American 

 millionaires to stand passively by. One has then 

 to rest content with being merely " a snapper up 

 of unconsidered trifles," described in the catalogue 

 as "parcels." These are budgets of old letters, 

 mostly from ordinary folk, with " a sporting 

 chance " of something from a distinguished some- 

 body being inadvertently mixed up with them. 

 I gratefully acknowledge that the realization of 

 such hopes is not entirely outside the sphere of 

 my own experience. " A nod is as good as a 

 wink " to an auctioneer, especially when there is 

 a lack of responsiveness among the bidders, and 

 so once upon a time the slightest inclination of 

 the head secured me the possession of a " parcel." 

 The dealers, intent upon higher game, hardly 

 condescended to cast an eye at such speculative 

 lots, and they fell to me at a price which enabled 



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