290 LIFE AND EXPERIENCES CHAP. 



straight as a rod, and at eighty-five years of age would 

 walk out in any weather without a great-coat or umbrella. 

 As a proof of his agility, my wife saw him when he 

 was eighty-three vault over the bench in the gallery of 

 the House of Commons. He was a great believer in 

 careful dieting and almost a vegetarian, living chiefly 

 upon fruit. He was in his way a philosopher and held 

 remarkable views on all sanitary matters. After 

 walking in the rain for three hours he would come 

 home and take a Turkish bath. On one occasion 

 when we were staying at Oakworth, Mrs. H olden asked 

 her factotum Barry where his master was. " Oh," said 

 he, "he is taking a Turkish bath." " Umph ! " said 

 she, " he is always a-rubbing and a-scrubbing." 



On several occasions my wife and I enjoyed the 

 hospitality of Mr. and Mrs. Holden at Oakworth 

 House. This was a remarkable building, erected in 

 the village close to the high road and between a 

 Wesleyan Chapel (for the family were ardent 

 Wesleyans) and a row of cottages. It was very 

 elegantly furnished and decorated by Parisian artists 

 without : thought of cost. The front faced south ; at 

 the back was situated a huge winter-garden connected 

 with the billiard-room, and also a most perfect form of 

 Turkish bath. The site of the winter-garden was 

 originally a quarry, which supplied stones for the 

 building of the mansion, stables, large schools and a 

 neighbouring factory. Beyond the winter-garden on 

 a slope of the hill was an extensive range of con- 

 servatories and vineries, among the most perfect in 

 the country. These were approached through caverns 

 hewn out of the rock forming winding steps among 

 the tropical plants and ferns, disclosing statuary and 

 romantic forms of animals. A cascade poured over a 

 similar rock amid plants and stones, giving a most 



