Home Life 



his map finding out the roads and stopping every now and 

 then to admire a fresh view or to explain what he would do 

 if the opportunity were given him. It was a very hot day, 

 and we became so thirsty that when we reached a stream, 

 to our great joy and delight he took out of his pocket, not 

 the old leather drinking-cup he usually carried, but a long 

 piece of black indiarubber tubing. We can see him now, 

 quite as pleased as we were with this brilliant idea, letting 

 it down into the stream and then offering us a drink! No 

 water ever tasted so nice I Our mother used to be a little 

 anxious as to the quality of the water, but he always put 

 aside such objections by saying running water was quite 

 safe, and somehow we never came to any harm through it. 

 The same happy luck attended our cuts and scratches; he 

 always put " stamp-paper " on them, calling it plaster, 

 and we knew of no other till years later. He used the 

 same thing for his own cuts, etc., to the end of his life, 

 with no ill effects. 



In 1881 we moved again, this time to Godalming, where 

 he had built a small house which he called '' Nutwood Cot- 

 tage." After Croydon this was a very welcome change and 

 we all enjoyed the lovely country round. The garden as 

 usual was the chief hobby, and Mr. J. W. Sharpe, our old 

 friend and neighbour in those days, has written his remi- 

 niscences of this time which give a very good picture of 

 our father. They are as follows : 



About thirty-five years ago Dr. Wallace built a house 

 upon a plot of ground adjoining that upon which our house 

 stood. I was at that time an assistant master at Charter- 

 house School ; and Dr. Wallace became acquainted with a 

 few of the masters besides myself. W^ith two or three of 

 them he had regular weekly games of chess ; for he was 

 then and for long afterwards very fond of that game ; 

 and, I understand, possessed considerable skill at it. A 



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