148 MY LIFE 



tion has led me to the conclusion that alcoholic drinks, taken 

 constantly, are especially injurious in old age and shorten the 

 lives of many persons. 



It was during this early period of my life that, on two 

 occasions only, I exceeded the limits of moderation, and 

 both were due to my youthful shyness and dislike of appear- 

 ing singular in society. One of these was at a dinner at Mr. 

 Sayce's, where the wine-drinking was especially prolonged, 

 and when at last we left the table, I felt my head dizzy and 

 my steps a little uncertain. The other was at Rhayader at a 

 time when my brother was away, and Dr. Heaton and another 

 friend were dining at the inn together with myself. At 

 dinner the doctor ordered a bottle of port wine and filled my 

 glass with the others. After dinner, the bottle being emptied, 

 the doctor said, " One bottle is a very small allowance for 

 three. Let's have another." Of course, the friend agreed, and 

 I said nothing, and was too shy to make an excuse and leave 

 the table. Of this bottle I tried, weakly, to refuse any share, 

 but the doctor insisted on giving me half a glass each round ; 

 and when this bottle was empty, he ordered another, saying, 

 " That's only one each," and I was compelled to have some 

 of that too, but I drank as little as I could, and again felt 

 very dizzy and uncomfortable. Before going the doctor said 

 to the waiter, " We've had three bottles of port ; charge one 

 to each of us." Of course, I dare not say a word ; and when 

 our bill came in, and my brother saw the bottle of port wine 

 charged which he had not ordered, he asked for an explana- 

 tion, and when I told him the circumstances, he evidently 

 thought I had done very wrong, but said nothing more about 

 it, knowing, perhaps, the difficulties of a shy lad in the society 

 of men. This little circumstance, perhaps more than any- 

 thing else, led to my never again taking more wine than 

 I felt inclined to take, and that was usually two or three 

 glasses only. 



Before we left Llanbister my cousin, Percy Wilson, who 

 was preparing for ordination after taking his degree at 

 Oxford, came to stay a short time with us, and partly to see 

 again the estate of Abbey-Cwm-Hir, which his father had 



