XXIX] MY FRIENDS AND WORK, 1871-1886 93 



With the help of another labourer I also myself laid down 

 I J-inch galvanized water-pipes to the house, with branches and 

 taps where required in the garden. I also built concrete walls 

 round the acre of ground at top, the part facing south about 

 nine feet high for fruit trees, the rest about five feet ; and also 

 laid out the garden, planted mounds for shelter, made a 

 winding road from below, which, when the shrubs had grown 

 up, became exceedingly picturesque ; and helped to sift out 

 hundreds of cubic yards of gravel to improve the land for 

 the kitchen garden. All this work was immensely interesting, 

 and I have seldom enjoyed myself more thoroughly, especi- 

 ally as my friend Geach was a continual visitor, was always 

 ready with his help and advice, and took as much interest in 

 the work as I did myself. We got into the house in March, 

 1872, and I began to take that pleasure in gardening, and 

 especially in growing uncommon and interesting as well as 

 beautiful plants, which in various places, under many diffi- 

 culties and with mingled failures and successes, has been a 

 delight and solace to me ever since. 



During my four and a half years' residence at Grays I 

 received visits from several foreigners of eminence, among 

 whom I especially recollect three. Russians — Hon. Alexander 

 Aksakoff, who may almost be called the Myers of Russian 

 and German spiritualism ; Professor Boutleroff, a biologist 

 and also a spiritualist ; and V. S. Solovyofif, also a spiritualist. 

 These were all delightful people, and they somewhat amused 

 my wife and myself by their enjoyment of the few delicacies 

 we were able to give them. On one of the occasions we 

 had a fine crop of peaches on our concrete wall, small, but 

 very delicious, and we had feasted on them for some time. 

 So we put a handsome dish containing a dozen or more 

 on the tea-table, and as our Russian visitor seemed greatly 

 to appreciate them, we pressed him to eat as many as he 

 liked, and he took us at our word and finished the dish. 

 Another time we had some very good orange-marmalade 

 on the table, which we offered with bread and butter, but 

 our guest said, " No ; with my tea " — so he asked for half 

 a cup of tea, of course without milk or sugar, in the Russian 



