An Autobiography of an Ancient Athlete & Antiquarian

188 AUTOBiOGRAPHY My daughters having left me, I went up to London to find a competent housekeeper, and eventually succeeded on the 24th August in securing a Scotch lady of great ability. Something I ate in the train (I think a stale Bath bun) upset me extremely, for I was down with fearful stomach pains for eight days, and ultimately had to bring Dr. Starling from Norwich to cure me. On the 7th September we had to part with our dear bull dog, "Diana," for she was getting savage. She was (to us) a most affectionate dog but not popular locally. The week ending 8th September was said to be the hottest for September ever recorded, 91.2 being registered in Norwich. Bessy, the last of my daughters, left me on roth September, I parting with her at Worstead Station. Miss Darling, my housekeeper, came to fill their places on 12th September. On the 19th September, R.H,, who was staying with us, and I drove over Walcot gap, and picniced on the sands, and after looking in at Crostwight Church, we came back, Purdy joining us and the parson for whist in the evening. The next day we all three of us went investigating at North Elmham, and R.H. agreed to write the masterly paper he afterwards published in the Norfolk and Norwich Archreo– logical Society's Transactions which I think, I may say, finally knocked on the head the heresies of Harrod and St. John Hope as to South Elmham ever having been the seat of the Bishopric. We also investigated the site of the ford, which ought to be on the line of the Roman road as laid out by Purdy. Next day we were at Lowestoft studying the erosions caused by the G.E.R. pier, on which curiously enough we met D.M.R. Another long drive on the 22nd was to inspect the excellent restorations of Cawston and Sall, and the terrible Gothic travesty perpetrated by Elwin at Booton. During the end of September I made another attempt to bring off my annual sea--coast ride, riding to Felming– ham and then railing to Rainham Park, but lost my way getting to East Rudham, where I failed to find the ghostly parson at home, and rode on against a very high west wind through Massingham to Lynn. On Friday I looked at the Carnegie Public Library, but found it a very poor affair, and