An Autobiography of an Ancient Athlete & Antiquarian

120 AUTOBIOGRAPHY -and I was simply dog- tired, and a considerable amount of money out of pocket at the finish. On the 14th March Dr. Williams, in whom I had great confidence, reported most unfavourably as to the state of my wife's health, for the percentage of sugar had risen to 40 per cent. My own eyes, through heavy stress of work, also troubled me mucb, but Dr. Johnson Taylor reassured me and said it only arose from overwork, though he after– wards threatened me with glaucoma 1£ I persevered in my evil ways . Since then I have continually over-used my eyes, but glaucoma has not yet come ! On the 19th March I lectured on "Practical Joking" to the "Woodpeckers" at Ferryside, and on 3rd April on " Old Norwich " at St. Stephen's. Just before Whitsun I had my last (?) bad trike-fall going down the hill into Coltishall, but then widened my axle and improved my stability immensely. Those learned on tricycling used to say a wide axle slowed a machine immensely, but I greatly doubt it. I slept at Lammas for the first time on 12th April. At Whitsun we had G.W.B. and his wife to stay at the cottage, but it was not a success, for their children had been sadly spoiled, and made themselves most unpleasant. The weather too was vilely wet, and our fuel unluckily ran out, but G.W.B., who was always one of the handiest of men, got over the difficulty by cutting down au apple tree, which burnt when wet better than any dry tree: I ever saw. This was one of the acts of many bits of knowledge of which he was full. I never saw him again, for he shot himself on the 3rd December following, to my deep regret. Soon after was the episode of the speaking-tube at Golden Square, so well known to my family, but which cannot be explained here. My eyes being so bad already I naturally thought it wise to take in hand the job of transcribing and printing the Register of Old Buckenham, with which Prince F. Duleep Singh tempted me. In June I saw the interesting ruined little "castle" at Dilham, which I always thought was an outpost for Caister, and got an account of it written by my friend Mr. Harry Brittain, and printed in Norf. Arch. xv., p. 190. On the 12th June I bought some riverside cottages at Horning, thinking one day to build a bungalow looking up the Long Reach.