THE WHIPPER-IN 93 



a glass of something hot and water after a cold wet 

 trashing day be objected to, but rather recommended, 

 but it is indiscriminate cold-blooded drinking that 

 should be avoided. It is a dangerous, a ruinous 

 thing. One glass this year leads to two next, and so 

 they go on till ruin is the result. Servants may take 

 our word for it, that in no station or calling in life 

 will drinking answer. A drunken man is not a man, 

 he is only half a man, sometimes not so much. 

 Hound servants, as we said before, are exposed to 

 great temptations. They have frequently to lie from 

 home at night, at inns and public-houses, and we all 

 know the customs of landlords, and the treating 

 habits of tap-rooms. Even in moving about home, 

 exercising hounds, or looking after kennel matters, 

 they are always liable to the offer. 



The farmers, the saddlers, the blacksmiths, the 

 bootmakers, all like to give them a drop. They 

 belong to a popular sport, and are popular characters. 

 We once heard an amusing story of Jack Shirley 

 going from Lincolnshire to Mr. Ralph Lambton's, 

 with a draft of hounds, and what was his surprise on 

 getting into the county of Durham (where he had 

 never been before) at finding himself accosted every 

 now and then by the familiar "Jack," and asked 

 what he would drink ? He was taken for Jack 

 Winter, Mr. Lambton's Huntsman, whom he greatly 

 resembled. 



In the matter of "drink," gentlemen are very apt 

 to treat hound servants as they treat the unfortunate 

 sisters of the pave debauch them first, and then 

 blame them for being what they are ; give them 

 drink, and then abuse them for being drunk. Each 

 man thinks what he himself gives can do no harm ; 

 but if hounds met before gentlemen's houses every 

 day they went out, it would be the ruin of half the 

 establishments going. Mr. Vyner comments severely 

 on the vice of drunkenness, and gives the following 



