very shy
of being observed in this performance, and the people had to catch him
as he passed and hand him their letters. He must have walked nearly
100,000 miles in the many years he was our postman, and he told me
before I left that more letters were addressed to the Manor when I
first came, than to all the rest of the houses in the village
together. When correspondence became more general a pillar-box was
erected, but I always regretted the loss of the familiar notes of the
tin horn.

Among Aldington's amusements no account would be complete without a
reference to the numerous concerts and entertainments for charitable
objects which my wife organized, and in which her musical talent
enabled her to take a prominent part; and although I feel some
hesitation in dealing with so personal a matter, I am certain that
many of those who co-operated with her in the organization and the
performance of these affairs will be pleased to have their
recollections of her own part in them revived.

She possessed a natural soprano voice of great sweetness and
flexibility, in combination with the sympathetic ability and clear
enunciation which add so much to the charm of vocal expression. She
was not allowed to begin singing, in earnest, before she was nineteen,
for fear of straining so delicate a voice, and she then had the
advantage of the tuition of Signor Caravoglia, one of the most
celebrated teachers of the time.

His method included deliberation in taking breath, thorough opening of
the mouth, practice before a mirror to produce a pleasing effect, and
to avoid facial contortion; he would not allow any visible effort, the
aim being to sing as naturally and spontaneously as a bird. His wife
played the accompaniments, so that the master could give his whole
attention to the attitude, production, and facial expression of the
pupil.

Signer Caravoglia only consented to teach her on the express condition
that she would not sing in choruses, on account of the danger of
strain and overexertion. She practised regularly, chiefly exercises,
two hours a day in separate half hours. Her talent was soon recognized
at Malvern, where she lived before her marriage, and her assistance
was in great demand for amateur charity concerts.

I have a book full of newspaper reports of my wife's performances,
containing notices of concerts at Malvern repeatedly, Kidderminster,
Worcester, at Birmingham under the auspices of the Musical Section of
the