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64 Old Memories of East-Bourne. [Chap. V.
such he presided over a great Conservative Meeting at Leicester on June 3, 1885, which resulted in my being invited to stand as M.P. for Leicester, but I eventually declined to do so. On that occasion I made the longest speech I ever did make, and one of which I shall cherish the memory. A verbatim report of it, taken from the Leicester Advertiser, was re-published in the Eastbourne Review.
The only Musician of eminence I ever knew at East-Bourne was the Rev. Sir F. A. Gore Ouseley, to whom I was introduced at a St. Saviour's Choir School Luncheon on January 30, 1883. Some 6 years later I came upon him in his own home, St. Michael's College, Tenbury, Worcestershire. Staying in the neighbourhood on one of my Boundary Commission journeys I called upon him, and by way of a treat (to myself) I asked him to play me something on his organ, which he did, to my infinite satisfaction, for a whole hour. When it was over I asked him how many stops the organ had and he said :—" Sixty-one; there is room for one more, and that one I hope to put in some day." I confess that I thought 61 was a sufficient number. He was an enthusiast, and also a most genial and delightful man. This combination is not always met with.
Our Ecclesiastical visitors were not very numerous. Bishop Durnford of Chichester, Bishop Mackarness of Oxford, Mr. Beresford Hope, M.P., Earl Nelson, the Rev. S. J. Stone and Canon Newbolt, were the chief, and 2 American bishops (over in 1897 for the Lambeth Conference), the Bishops of New Hampshire and Colorado. Bishop Durnford was a delightful person to have in one's house; so cheery and versatile in his tastes and conversation, but he never converted me to his doctrines as to the merits of toadstools or other strange fungi as articles of food. Earl Nelson's status as a famous Churchman is well known. He came to us in November 1894, to speak at a great Town Hall meeting on behalf of Church Elementary Schools. His anecdotes captivated our children. Here are two. In a certain year (I think 1844) Lord Nelson went into the country to stay with a |
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