Il8 REMINISCENCES. 



much more effectually than walking that having to attend 

 to the horse gave him occupation sufficient to prevent any 

 really hard thinking. And the change of scene which it gave 

 him was good for spirits and health. 



Unluckily, Tommy one day fell heavily with him on 

 Keston common. This, and an accident with another horse 

 upset his nerves, and he was advised to give up riding. 



If I go beyond my own experience, and recall what I have 

 heard him say of his love for sport, &c., I can think of a good 

 deal, but much of it would be a repetition of what is con- 

 tained in his ' Recollections.' At school he was fond of bat- 

 fives, and this was the only game at which he was skilful. 

 He was fond of his gun as quite a boy, and became a good 

 shot ; he used to tell how in South America he killed twenty- 

 three snipe in twenty-four shots. In telling the story he was 

 careful to add that he thought they were not quite so wild 

 as English snipe. 



Luncheon at Down came after his midday walk ; and 

 here I may say a word or two about his meals generally. 

 He had a boy-like love of sweets, unluckily for himself, since 

 he was constantly forbidden to take them. He was not 

 particularly successful in keeping the "vows," as he called 

 them, which he made against eating sweets, and never con- 

 sidered them binding unless he made them aloud. 



He drank very little wine, but enjoyed, and was revived 

 by, the little he did drink. He had a horror of drinking, 

 and constantly warned his boys that any one might be led 

 into drinking too much. I remember, in my innocence as a 

 small boy, asking him if he had been ever tipsy ; and he 

 answered very gravely that he was ashamed to say he had 

 once drunk too much at Cambridge. I was much impressed, 

 so that I know now the place where the question was asked. 



After his lunch, he read the newspaper, lying on the sofa 

 in the drawing-room. I think the paper was the only non- 

 scientific matter which he read to himself. Everything else, 



