under-hand balls ; and when a more permanent cricket- 

 ground was made, he entered with zest into all the 

 arrangements for matches, and would put up the tents 

 himself, and delight in welcoming our visitors. He 

 rarely went out for a walk or for a collecting expedition 

 without one or more of us, and we had no greater 

 pleasure than his companionship, for he was always fresh 

 and never seemed to grow old. Now and then he would 

 take us for longer expeditions to Lulworth, or Swanage, 

 or to meetings of the Dorset Field Club j and when, as 

 we grew older, we came to hold views different from his 

 own on many matters, it made no difference to the 

 happiness of our companionship with him. His delight 

 in music has already been mentioned. He was a good 

 violinist; he had a fine violin made by Vuillaume on 

 the model of Guarnerius ; and he was much in request, 

 both as a violinist and a singer, at all village concerts in 

 the neighbourhood. Many such concerts were held at 

 Bloxworth in his time, sometimes at the school, some- 

 times in the drawing-room at the Rectory, which would 

 hold an audience of over sixty ; a platform for the per- 

 formers was erected at one end of the room, and became 

 permanent. But for many years most of the concerts in 

 which he took part were those held at Bere Regis, where 

 there were several keen musicians. He was always careful 

 to choose good music, generally that of the classical 

 continental composers or of the great English writers of 

 glees and madrigals j and it was found that these were 



