Reminiscent 



first-rate companion I mean that whatever you were doing in his 

 company you were never bored, and he apparently was greatly 

 amused. Nothing came amiss to him in the way of subjects ; 

 although he was neither a shooting nor a fishing man or ever 

 went yachting or travelling, he could always join in your talk 

 or reminiscences. He never forgot a friend, and though by no 

 means a rich man was always ready to assist any case of hard- 

 ship or distress. I well remember not many years ago his saying 

 " Of course I will give a pony " the moment he heard of the 

 subject. Of late years he played a great deal of golf, and 

 though he never became so good at it as he was at cricket in 

 his younger days, he was a very fair player and used to say 

 it kept him so fit. " What would life in the summer-time be 

 without golf!" Fencing, rackets, billiards, all in their turn 

 came more naturally to him than to most men, though all these 

 were, so to speak, very minor accomplishments compared with 

 his horsemanship, but as I have said elsewhere this is a thrice- 

 told tale. 



Only a few years ago a noted Irish horse-dealer asked me 

 in the Paddock at Ascot, " Who is that gentleman ? " I 

 answered, " Mr. Richardson." "What, the celebrated Mr. 

 Richardson ? Pray introduce me," which of course I did, to 

 my Irish friend's great delight. At the Dublin Horse Show, 

 if he was judging, one used to hear him pointed out as the 

 Mr. Richardson who won two Nationals. They thought the 

 world of him in Ireland as well as in Lincolnshire. I have 

 mentioned his physical gifts. Though naturally no bookworm, 

 he was well read and a capital speaker. I often thought his 

 speeches at Horse-show lunches, etc., were as good as they 

 could be, and every one knows he sat for Brigg in Parliament. 

 Since 1906, when I came to live in England, he was a neighbour, 

 though not a very near one, of mine, and I saw a great deal of 



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