Sporting notions of present days and past

IN THE OFF SEASON 299
I never succeeded in finding the long-shore " char-
acter " man who would do a job of this sort
twice, so my resolution remains unfulfilled.
I have made resolve, and shall always feel
more comfortable in my mind while I am sticking
to my resolution, never to be about on the water
any more unless armed with a little vessel of
camphorated spirit with which to doctor the
smallest little scratch, even a pin-prick. After
hearing of great strong fellows laid on their
backs for weeks all through chipping out with
the handle of an oar or scull a piece of skin no
wider than a flea's shirt-front, but enough to
serve for Mr Bacillus to enter by, I shall certainly
add good Doctor Raspail's antiseptic to the small
dispensary I have hitherto considered indispens-
able in the lining of every gentleman's pockets.
What with this and the old outfit, I am getting
altogether the foundation of a chemist's stock
for ordinary equipment. You may laugh if you
like when I tell you that before adding this
interesting preventive cure to my collection, it
has been' my custom or intention to always
provision myself with two other boons and bless-
ings in the quack way. On Boric Acid I have-
preached often enough as the best friend a taker
of exercise can enlist in his service, if he wants
to keep his hands and feet fit and free from
blisters, corns, and other annoyances, but I do
not think I have hitherto given away my great
thirst-quencher or obviator, which is also in the
Boric line, and that is tincture of myrrh and
borax. With just a "touch"—say, one drop or
two now and then—you can work for hours on
a hot day, and not feel the least disposed to pull
up and "go and see a man about a dog." Then
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