Notwithstanding his somewhat frequent excursions abroad and certain years that we spent at Leamington and in London when economy was the order of the day; my father passed most of his life at Bradenham; to which he was devotedly attached。 He was a barrister; but I do not think that he practised to any great extent; probably because he had no need to do so。 Still I have heard several amusing stories (they may be apocryphal) concerning his appearance as an advocate。 One of these I remember; the others have escaped me。 He was prosecuting a man for stealing twelve hogs; and in addressing the jury did his best to bring home to them the enormity of the defendant’s crime。
“Gentleman of the Jury;” he said; “think what this man has done。 He stole not one hog but twelve hogs; and not only twelve hogs but twelve fat hogs; exactly the same number; Gentleman of the Jury; as I see in the box before me!”
The story adds that the defendant y father turned his legal lore to some practical use; for he became a Chairman of Quarter Sessions for Norfolk; an office which he held till his death over forty years later。 He used to conduct the proceedings with great dignity; to which his appearance — for he was a very handsome man; better looking indeed than any of his sons — and his splendid voice added not a little。
Most of us have inherited the voice though not to the same degree。 Indeed it has been a family characteristic for generations; and my father told me that once as a young man he was recognised as a Haggard by an old lady who had never seen him and did not know his name; merely by the likeness of his voice to that of his great…grandfather who had been her friend in youth。 Never was there such a voice as my father’s; moreover he was wont to make use of it。 It w