6 MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR 



own outlook on life and nature was also changed. 

 The sportsman's instinct on a fine day " to go 

 out and kill something " was rapidly dying out 

 in him ; he preferred rather to watch the habits 

 of living birds and animals, and to divine their 

 instincts, feelings, and actions. At a meet of 

 fox-hounds, harriers, or otter-hounds, he would 

 follow every movement with keen zest, but his 

 sympathies turned more and more to the side of 

 the quarry, rather than to that of the hunter. 

 When he went shooting, he now cared little 

 about the size of his *^ bag " ; his joy was rather 

 to watch the working of the beautiful dogs he 

 had himself trained, to note the haunts and 

 movements of the birds, and to watch the ever- 

 changing aspects of sky and landscape. In 

 spring he was content to go day by day to the 

 '' island " below the village, or to the river bank 

 opposite ; to sit and watch the nesting birds ; 

 to think and dream. 



All this was reflected in his literary work. 

 A vein of tender sentiment was there revealed, 

 which seemed strangely at variance with his 

 earlier character, and with the boisterous fun 

 and high spirits aroused in him by the com- 

 pany of those he knew well. And the change 

 went deeper. The careless scepticism of his 

 youth passed slowly away, and was replaced 



