210 Life and Times of " The Druid." 



began somewhat eagerly to anticipate mak- 

 ing use of the two luncheon tickets that had 

 been presented to us on our arrival, and was 

 much disappointed when my father pro- 

 ceeded to a small public house in the neigh- 

 bourhood, and bought some bread and 

 cheese, which he shared with me. When I 

 asked the reason of this extraordinary 

 neglect to "take the goods the Gods pro- 

 vide," I was told that he could not conscien- 

 tiously write favourably of the yearlings, and 

 would not, therefore, accept the hospitality 

 of their owner. Perhaps it is excusable that 

 this motive was quite above the head of a 

 boy of twelve, and that I munched my very 

 inferior cheese w T ith many regretful longings 

 for the flesh-pots of Egypt. 



Never anything of a "ladies' man," his 

 love for his wife was very deep and touching. 

 Towards the end, when he was still strug- 

 gling to town each day, she would walk with 

 him, to help him to the top of the street, 

 where he used to catch an omnibus. Occa- 

 sionally, when she was dressed, he would 

 send her back to her room to put on a 

 smarter pair of boots, or some new gloves, 



