WALKS. 1 1 5 



oaks in it, which made a sheltered shady walk ; the other side 

 was separated from a neighbouring grass field by a low 

 quickset hedge, over which you could look at what view 

 there was, a quiet little valley losing itself in the upland 

 country towards the edge of the Westerham hill, with hazel 

 coppice and larch wood, the remnants of what was once a 

 large wood, stretching away to the Westerham road. I have 

 heard my father say that the charm of this simple little valley 

 helped to make him settle at Down. 



The Sand-walk was planted by my father with a variety of 

 trees, such as hazel, alder, lime, hornbeam, birch, privet, and 

 dogwood, and with a long line of hollies all down the exposed 

 side. In earlier times he took a certain number of turns 

 every day, and used to count them by means of a heap of 

 flints, one of which he kicked out on the path each time he 

 passed. Of late years I think he did not keep to any fixed 

 number of turns, but took as many as he felt strength for. 

 The Sand-walk was our play-ground as children, and here 

 we continually saw my father as he walked round. He liked 

 to see what we were doing, and was ever ready to sympathize 

 in any fun that was going on. It is curious to think how, 

 with regard to the Sand-walk in connection with my father, 

 my earliest recollections coincide with my latest ; it shows 

 how unvarying his habits have been. 



Sometimes when alone he stood still or walked stealthily 

 to observe birds or beasts. It was on one of these occasions 

 that some young squirrels ran up his back and legs, while 

 their mother barked at them in an agony from the tree. He 

 always found birds' nests even up to the last years of his life, 

 and we, as children, considered that he had a special genius 

 in this direction. In his quiet prowls he came across the less 

 common birds, but I fancy he used to conceal it from me, 

 as a little boy, because he observed the agony of mind which 

 I endured at not having seen the siskin or goldfinch, or 

 whatever it might have been. He used to tell us how, when 



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