174 MEN OF MY TIME 



occasion a friend partaking of this early meal, whose 

 appetite had been sharpened by a long ride, in his hurry 

 to appease his hunger scalded his mouth by hasty indis- 

 cretion. The burned visitor was extremely savage at 

 this, and said he ought to have been reminded of it. 



' No,' replied the host. ' If you had been told of it 

 you would have done so the next time, and it is far 

 better to learn a lesson of a friend that will never be 

 forgotten, than elsewhere at the expense of strangers.' 



I don't doubt the story is true, but it has a great 

 resemblance to another one I have heard. A little boy 

 was eating some very hot pudding, which brought tears 

 into his tender eyes. His grandfather, seeing this, 

 compassionately asked the reason ; and being told that 

 it was because it was the anniversary of his grandmother's 

 burial, was satisfied, and incautiously turned to eat his 

 own portion, and, burning himself severely, in his pain 

 cried out : 



1 Bother you and your grandmother, too !' 



I once visited Mr. Wreford, at Gratton, for a few days' 

 woodcock-shooting, which in that part of Devonshire is 

 often very good. But I was unfortunate, for it rained 

 for three weeks incessantly, and caused me to extend my 

 visit, in hope of a change for the better. As it turned 

 out, I had only a few hours on the last day I stayed, and 

 killed two and a half couple in the afternoon before 

 leaving. Mr. Wreford once came to my place at Wood- 

 yates to have a little shooting. He was greatly 

 astonished at the difference of the two counties. In 

 Devonshire you kick an old cock pheasant, or a rabbit, 

 or maybe a partridge, out of a hedge into which you 

 have just driven it, a few yards before your nose ; and 

 you mostly bag it. He told me in this way some 

 wondrous feats of his shooting, such as his having killed 



