54 "MY KINGDOM FOR A HORSE!" 



Wars. The modern world then seemed dull and intoler- 

 able, the soul of chivalry and romance having departed, 



Mr Gray, however, by somewhat Spartan methods, 

 brought the realities of existence, such as it is, very clearly 

 to our minds each morning, for it was his custom to call 

 us himself and make one after the other sit in a bath 

 while he poured a can of cold water down the back. 

 This he did regardless of weather, and, no doubt, the effect 

 was good, though the anticipation on a winter morning 

 was unpleasant. 



The marriage of the Prince and Princess of Wales was 

 the great event of loth March 1863, and my part in the 

 celebration of it is recorded in the Diary, loth March : 



This morning we went to Brafferton, Mrs Gray riding the 

 donkey at first, but we were met by the carriage, and so I rode the 

 donkey, which kept up with the carriage. In the afternoon we 

 had a procession round the town, me among the number. In 

 the evening we had a magic lantern and fireworks. We all sang 

 God Save the Queen. There were flags out of all the windows. 



Some few weeks later, during the holidays, I was taken 

 to Ripon to see the Prince and Princess drive through 

 the town, and that was my first sight of them. Of course 

 people were enthusiastic. How could they be otherwise 

 over such a charming young Princess? but loyalty to 

 the Crown was not then nearly so deeply rooted and 

 sincere as it is now. It was reserved for Disraeli, a good 

 many years later, to bring home both to Queen Victoria 

 and her people the true strength of their respective 

 positions, which act and react for mutual dignity and 

 co-operative power. 



This Cundale period must now come to an end, though 

 something like a Sandford and Merton book could be 

 written about it. All concerned have passed out of my 

 ken, and I have never seen Bob Callcott again. Mr Gray 

 migrated to the living of Pateley Bridge. I went home, 

 and next term to Coxwold Vicarage. 



