ON THE "FIELD" AND "QUEEN" 147 



by one post, some would be taken home for 

 dissection at leisure. 



Another, and to his family not always much 

 less discomposing operation, was the examining 

 and testing for review purposes of various sub- 

 stances, articles or apparatus sent in to the paper 

 for notice. Those unacquainted with the interior 

 working of a newspaper office would hardly 

 credit the number and variety of articles thus 

 " sent in " to a big paper with the object of 

 getting a favourable notice. From Christmas- 

 cards and calendars to hand fire-extinguishers, 

 from waterproof cloth to sparrow-traps, from 

 patent dew-catchers (for watering pheasants in 

 the open) to anti-tannic teapots, from tobacco 

 and liquors to book-racks and beehives, there 

 was scarce an article of domestic or sporting 

 utility brought out, invented or patented, that 

 did not come into Tegetmeier's hands for the 

 expression of his expert opinion (and if possible 

 praise) thereon. Very thorough were the tests 

 to which he usually put such articles, as his 

 family could testify ; for when a thing was 

 taken or sent home for practical trial or experi- 

 ment on its alleged virtues, everything had to 

 give way to the testing. Dining-room or kitchen, 

 corridor, cupboard or garden, was utilised for 

 the experiment, and woe betide the unfortunate 

 maid or child who upset or disturbed any of 

 papa's " subjects " of investigation. I can, from 



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