There was a column quite outside of The Register to which I liked to contribute for love.  That was “The Riddler,” which appeared in The Observer and in The Evening Journal on Saturdays.  It brought me in contact with Mr. William Holden, long the oldest journalist in South Australia, who revelled in statistical returns and algebraical problems and earth measurements, but who also appreciated a good charade or double acrostic.  I used to give some of the ingredients for his “Christmas Mince Pie,” and wrote many riddles of various sorts.  My charades were not so elegant as some arranged by Miss Clark, and not so easily found out; and my double acrostics were not so subtle as those given in competition nowadays, but they were in the eighties reckoned excellent.  My fame had reached the ears of Mrs. Alfred Watts (nee Giles), who spent her early colonial life on Kangaroo Island, and she asked me to write some double acrostics for the poor incurables.  I stared at her in amazement.  “We want to be quite well to tackle double acrostics and to have access to books.  Does not Punch speak of the titled lady, eager to win a guinea prize, who gave seven volumes of Carlyle’s works to seven upper servants, and asked each to search one to find a certain quotation?” “Oh,” said Mrs. Watts, “I don’t mean for the incurables to amuse themselves with.  I mean for the benefit of the home.”

In the end I prepared a book of charades and double acrostics, for the printing and binding of which Mrs. Watts paid.  It was entitled “Silver Wattle,” and the proceeds from the sale of this little book went to help the funds of the home.  For a second volume issued for the same purpose Mrs. Strawbridge wrote some poems, Mrs. H. M. Davidson a translation of Victor Huge, Miss Clark her beautiful “Flowers of Greece,” and her niece some pretty verses, which, combined with the double acrostics, and acting charades supplied by me, made an attractive volume.  Mrs. Watts had something of a literary turn, which found expression in “Memories of Early Days in South Australia,” a book printed for private circulation among her family and intimate friends.  Dealing with the years between 1837 and 1845 it was very interesting to old colonists, particularly when they were able to identify the people mentioned, sometimes by initials and sometimes by pseudonyms.  The author was herself an incurable invalid from an accident shortly after her marriage, and felt keenly for all the inmates of the Fullarton Home.

In 1877 my brother John—­with whom I had never quarrelled in my life, and who helped and encouraged me in everything that I did—­retired from the English, Scottish, and Australian Bank, and decided to contest a seat for the Legislative Council.  It was the last occasion on which the Council was elected with the State as one district.  Although he announced his candidature only the night before nomination day, and did not address a single meeting, he was elected third on the poll.  He afterwards