THE JEFFERIES MEMORIAL. 
87. 
any rate I witnessed a most exciting tug of war. First No. i 
began to gain ground, and then losing his footing and with it 
his advantage, he was dragged a few lengths with his burden 
when a No. 3 appeared, joined in a round, but went off in disgust 
leaving Nos. i and 2 to settle their own affairs. At last after 
various struggles No. 2 gave it up and tried something else, 
while No. I bore the booty in triumph away. 
Another day I saw a string of ants streaming forth, evidently 
in search of “ pastures new,” but I just flicked away the leader 
and waited to see the result. There was an immediate halt 
made by the foremost ants, and a scene of utmost confusion 
ensued. The ants from behind kept arriving at the scene of the 
catastrophe and there was soon a black crowd of ants huddling 
and jostling one another. Some would detach themselves from 
the main group and take a turn round, trying to find some traces 
of their leader ; then at last the tail end of the line arrived, and 
after brief consultation they all started off again and a line soon 
began to unravel itself from the tangled mass moving back to 
the hole from which the whole company had so lately started on 
“ pleasure bound or labour all intent.” While I was watching 
the return journey, I felt something stinging my leg. Ugh ! a 
leech ! I took it off and put it down in the line of march. Ants 
will carr)'^ off a worm, why not a leech ? It was, however, most 
amusing to see how carefully all avoided the leech. 
W. F. E. Liesching. 
THE JEFFERIES MEMORIAL. 
HE monument to Richard Jefferies in Salisbury Cathedral 
was unveiled by the Bishop of Salisbury on Wednes- 
day, the gth of March. It consists of a marble bust, 
the work of IMiss jMargaret Thomas, of which the 
accompanying is an illustration, below which is the inscription 
given on following page. 
The Dean of Salisbury then delivered an address, of which 
the following is a portion : — 
“ I could well wish that the task of saying a few words on 
this occasion had been entrusted to one better qualified than I 
am to say what the friends and admirers of this remarkable 
writer would desire. The story of a life like that of Richard 
Jefferies cannot fail to make a deep impression upon the most 
careless. It has been told by one of the most skilful and 
popular writers of the present day, and the growing interest 
in the later writings of Jefferies, as evident on all sides, must 
be to Mr. Besant a most gratifying result of what he has 
From photograph by Mr. Owen, Salisbury. 
