Page:Allan Octavian Hume, C.B.; Father of the Indian National Congress.djvu/123

Allan Octavian Hume

On his final retirement from India, Mr. Hume made for himself a quiet little home, a few miles from London, at "The Chalet" in Kingswood Road, Upper Norwood, whence he carried on a constant correspondence with friends in India, while supervising the work of the British Committee at Palace Chambers. To his house he added a spacious studio or working room, beautifully adorned with Indian trophies, where his leisure moments were spent in the scientific pursuits that were so dear to him. But besides these occupations, a ready sympathy with his surroundings led him into vigorous co-operation with the social and political work of the Parliamentary Division of Dulwich, in which he resided. This Division has always been regarded as an impregnable stronghold of Tory "villadom," but this tradition only stimulated in him the perfervidiim ingenium Scotorum, and again and again he led the Liberal forces to the attack. Naturally the leadership of the people's party had come into his hands, for in him was the root of the matter—"Trust in the People"—"the faith," as he said, "in which I was reared, a faith which has never faltered, a faith, despite the shortcomings of individuals, in the goodness and wisdom of the people as a whole, and in the certain and ultimate triumph of the people's cause, as of all other true and righteous things." His faithful co-worker, Mr. Seth Coward, the Secretary of the Liberal Association, has kindly supplied the following account of his inspiring activities:

"Dulwich, with Peckham and North Camberwell, constitutes the Parliamentary Borough of Camberwell, one of the boroughs carved in 1885 out of the old Parliamentary Borough of Lambeth. Five years later, 109