Money he always refused with gestures of intense disgust, and he would
also decline cooked meat and broken bread. When hard biscuits were
given him, he would carefully examine them, and if one was found
chipped or cracked he would return it, pointing out the defect, and
ask for a sound one in return. He had a small, sun-parched face, and
silvery long hair; but his features were fine, his teeth white and
even, his eyes clear grey and keen as a falcon's. There was always a
set expression of deep mental anguish on his face, intensified with
perhaps a touch of insanity, which made it painful to look at him. As
he never accepted money or anything but food, he of course made his
own garments--and what garments they were! Many years ago I used to
see, strolling about St. James's Park, a huge hairy gentleman, with a
bludgeon in his hand, and clothed with a bear's skin to which the head
and paws were attached. It may be that this eccentric individual is
remembered by some of my readers, but I assure them that he was quite
a St. James's Park dandy compared with my hermit. He wore a pair of
gigantic shoes, about a foot broad at the toes, made out of thick cow-
hide with the hair on; and on his head was a tall rimless cow-hide hat
shaped like an inverted flower-pot.
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