54 THE EARLY DAYS OF 



Government would serve the Sepoys who just then were supposed 

 to be kilHng me ? 



Tom Phipps, our village postman, when off duty was also my 

 frequent companion, and although he is unknown beyond a few 

 miles from home, he may fairly be added to the list of remarkable 

 men whom this neighbourhood has produced. 



Warren Hastings was born at Churchill, as was William Smith, 

 who is alluded to on a monolith raised to his memory as the 

 " Father of English Geology." Their heads made them famous ; 

 but Tom's legs have raised him on the pedestal of fame, inasmuch 

 as he has walked a greater number of miles than any other man 

 who ever lived. 



His postal duties, commencing in 1840, have taken him over 

 400,000 miles, of which he has walked 350,000, and had he gone 

 straight on, instead of imitating the pendulum of a clock, he would 

 have walked more than fourteen times round the world on the line of 

 its greatest circumference. An estimate might be made of the 

 number of letters which have been under his charge and delivered, 

 but when we speak of millions the mind fails to grasp such numbers, 

 and it will be more to the point to remark that he has never lost 

 a letter, and however numerous may be the times, during more than 

 half-a-century, he has had to present himself at the post-office, 

 he has never been behind time, or reprimanded for any fault or 

 dereliction of duty. He has to rise, Summer and Winter, between 

 four and five a.m., and when he returns home about eight p.m., and 

 has had his supper and a pipe, he is ready to seek repose, which 

 will enable him to start again next morning. 



Tom can count his holidays on his fingers. When I first returned 

 from India, he went with me to London for three days ; we put up 

 at the Langham Hotel, and saw all that could be seen in so short a 

 time. But this short glimpse of happiness, derived from a life of 

 luxury and ease, made his post-bag and boots appear so heavy on his 

 return to duty, that he took the hint and has since become some- 

 what shy of holidays, or anything which might interfere with his 



