Page:The life and letters of Sir John Henniker Heaton bt. (IA lifelettersofsi00port).pdf/161

 paper would be missing, and then every one would be on their knees for an hour, emptying dispatch boxes, going through drawers, and generally looking in every likely and unlikely spot for the lost document.

In spite of H. H.'s vigorous efforts to answer immediately every letter, one would sometimes get over-looked. A reproachful reminder in poetic form made one more example of those "cradled into poetry by wrong" of whom Shelley sang:

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{{centre block| "Our Henniker above all others seeks {{em|1}}To make our Postal Correspondence better, And is it He who takes four mortal weeks {{em|1}}To answer one short simple urgent letter?" }}

{{block right|width=20em| {{right|{{sc|Henry Cust.}} }}}} H. H. was very fond of poetry of all kinds, and loved to hear it read aloud if the reader had a sympathetic voice and good intonation. Talking of the voice, he always said that the late Canon Fleming was the best elocutionist in England, and he very much enjoyed hearing him preach at St Michael's, Chester Square. H. H. once found himself seated next to Canon Fleming at a big city dinner. The Canon had just pronounced grace in his low clear, musical voice, and had settled himself comfortably down to his turtle soup when a stray remark of H. H.'s caused him to spring from his seat, exclaiming, "Good gracious, I'm at the wrong dinner then!" and off he flew, followed by chuckles of amusement from his neighbours.

Sometimes on fine spring mornings, H. H. would leave his library early, and invite his daughters to