This incident effectually cured the offender of his
unpleasant habit. The accusation of neglecting his laundress may
have been an unfounded one. In my early youth I was given a book
to read about a tiresome little girl named Ellen Montgomery, who
apparently divided her time between reading her pocket-Bible and
indulging in paroxysms of tears. The only incident in the book I
remember is that this lachrymose child had an aunt, a Miss
Fortune, who objected on principle to clean stockings. She
accordingly dyed all Ellen's stockings dirt-colour, to save the
washing. It would be charitable to assume that this particular
Member of Parliament had an aunt with the same economical
instincts.
I must plead guilty to two episodes where my sole desire was to
avoid disappointment to others, and to prevent the reality falling
short of the expectation. One was in India. Barrackpore, the
Viceroy of India's official country house, is justly celebrated
for its beautiful gardens. In these gardens every description of
tropical tree, shrub and flower grows luxuriantly.
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