FORTY YEARS WITHOUT A BREAK 



across my own path can be understood when I 

 say that, of all the goodly number of honorary 

 and permanent show yard and consulting officials 

 who were serving the Society at the time of my ap- 

 pointment, I am the sole survivor still in harness. 



But, happily, I have not to go beyond the pre- 

 cincts of my own office to find an unbroken link 

 with that ancient past which preceded my own 

 arrival at Bath. As the secretary provides his 

 own office staff, he is unfettered in the selection 

 of it, and when I first set foot, as one having 

 authority, in the Society's offices, I found there 

 on temporary duty pending my arrival a member 

 of the previous secretary's staff, who was there 

 just to " carry on " till the new broom came into 

 action. He was quite a youngster, but I liked 

 his looks sufficiently well to give him the option 

 of staying on long enough to ascertain how we 

 suited each other. This was nearly thirty-six 

 years ago, and Mr. W. A. Smith is still zealously 

 devoting himself to my service, now as my chief 

 clerk, who for many years has been my sheet- 

 anchor as well, and the recipient, in an equal 

 degree, of the confidence also of the Society's 

 Council. His time-record, so far as the Society 

 is concerned, throws mine into the shade, for he 

 has forty years to his credit against my thirty -four, 

 and he is still going strong. An association of 

 this standing without a break is something to 

 be very thankful for, especially when it represents 

 such loyal service as in this instance, and I could 

 not close these chapters from my life without 

 acknowledging this. 



Having reached the last stage of my gossipings, 

 323 



