14 Life and Times of " The Druid" 



in a dream. I should like to know who and 

 what he is.' ' Oh ! ' I replied, ' I can soon 

 satisfy your curiosity — he is my husband ; let 

 me introduce him to you.' Need it be added 

 that the unhappy wight vanished through a 

 side door. 



" One other point affecting ' The Druid's ' 

 personal appearance caused him much anx- 

 ious care and thought. On the top of his 

 head one rebellious lock of hair persistently 

 stood erect. To control it he always kept a 

 hair brush in his pocket, of which he made 

 vigorous use on all occasions, seasonable and 

 unseasonable. Failing in this way to reduce 

 it to order, he resorted to such profuse applica- 

 tions of pomatum, that on dining at the house 

 of a prim maiden lady, he leaned his head 

 against the delicate paper of her drawing- 

 room, when a deep round stain was left upon 

 the wall, which gradually grew in size until 

 it met her horrified gaze. 



" It was his constant habit to walk when 

 time permitted. He thought nothing of 

 twenty or thirty miles, carrying a knapsack, 

 made pretty heavy by note books, and works 

 of reference which were his invariable com- 



