Notwithstanding his military duties, of which he was far from being forgetful, amid all the political excitement of 1892, Colonel Wauchope, encouraged by the enthusiasm of his friends, and still determined to uphold what he considered Constitutional principles, though, at the same time, conscious of his own deficiencies, continued his candidature for some time in view of the possibility of another election soon. Writing from Limerick Barracks {130} on 28th July 1892 to a friend in Dalkeith who had sent him some complimentary verses on the recent election, he says:--'Many thanks for your kind letter. It is such that repay me for any little trouble I may have taken in the good old cause. No one feels more than I do how unfit I am in many ways for the position of candidate. For instance, during next month we are to be at field manoeuvres, and I am tied by the leg during that time. But Midlothian deals very tenderly with all my wants--very much, I take it, that I am one of themselves.' It was his strong opinion that the Liberal policy of the time was to prove disastrous to the best interests of his country which made him so keen an opponent of Mr. Gladstone. Against that great statesman he had not the slightest personal feeling. Speaking to a friend afterwards who was congratulating him upon his having so nearly been returned to Parliament, he said, 'I never expected to win the seat, _but I wanted to hash their batteries_!' Before long it became apparent, however, that it would be a needless waste of energy to continue the struggle; and, besides this, other duties supervened, and Colonel Wauchope saw fit to withdraw altogether from politics for a season. {131} CHAPTER VIII THE 73RD REGIMENT AT MARYHILL BARRACKS--INCIDENTS OF HOME LIFE--MILITARY LIFE AT YORK--APPOINTMENT TO SOUDAN CAMPAIGN.