BIOGRAPHIES IN A NUTSHELL 133 



has the reputation of having been a good woman. 

 When she was not hunting she devoted her time to 

 visiting — and helping — the poor at Willey. The 

 only portrait of her which I have seen depicts her 

 as a handsome woman, with a daring expression on 

 her face. Phoebe Higgs and the other objects of 

 the Squire's admiration hved in the village, so the 

 Squire had a pavement walk made alongside the 

 drive to the hall, so that the rustic beauties should 

 not wet their ankles. 



Perhaps Parson Stephens was the most notable 

 visitor at Willey, He was a splendid specimen of 

 the sporting clergyman — a class, alas ! now becoming 

 extinct. No man was better known in Shropshire 

 and the Salopian borders of Staffordshire than 

 Parson Stephens, as he was invariably called. Many 

 stories have I heard of him, and his memory is still 

 green in the present Albrighton country, where he 

 was a constant visitor at Rudge Hall. On one occa- 

 sion, according to Mr. Randall's amusing and instruc- 

 tive book on the Willey country, the mistress of 

 Rudge had presented her lord and master with a 

 baby girl, and Mr. Stephens was asked to christen 

 it. The ceremony took place after dinner, and 

 Mr. Stephens, though he did not usually suffer from 

 deafness, failed to catch the name. On another occa- 

 sion, when staying at Willey, he had retired early to 

 bed, but waking up hungry he made his way to the 

 larder, with the intention of getting some venison 

 pasty, forgetting that the Squire and his guests were 



