The Rev. Marmaduke Merrythought. 41 



most regular has he been in his attendance ever since, 

 scarcely ever, indeed, missing a day. In fact, he is a 

 model chaplain in every way. Watch him now, as, having 

 changed his hack for a hunter, he moves off to say a 

 word to the noble Master of the Hounds, and say if the 

 subject of our sketch don't look like business all over, from 

 the crown of his hat to the toes of his very perfectly 

 varnished boots, and, if you only wait until they find, and 

 you get away with them, taking the " Bishop " as your pilot, 

 you will be pretty certain to find yourself at the end of 

 the day recalling to memory those lines of Major Whyte- 

 Melville's — 



When the country is roughest he's most at his ease; 

 When the run is severest, he rides like a man. 

 And the pace cannot stop, nor the fences defeat, 

 This rum one to follow, this bad one to beat. 



About a week before the Derby our Chaplain and his 

 family betake themselves to town for a month or so 

 for the May Meetings, as he will tell you. Not that we 

 ever remember seeing him near Exeter Hall, in our life. 

 When in town the Reverend's programme for the day is 

 something in this wise : after breakfast he will saunter 

 down Pall-Mallwards to his club, which is, of course, the 

 Oxford and Cambridge. Arrived there, he will repair to 

 the smoking room, and read the paper over a quiet weed. 

 When he has done that, it is about time for the park. So 

 he will repair home ; take one or both of his daughters, and 

 saunter down Piccadilly, stopping on the way, you may 

 be sure, at Messrs. Fores's to have a stare at the sporting 

 prints. The park reached, he will sit down and watch 

 with a critical eye the cavalry as they pass in review be- 

 fore him — home again to luncheon — club again, and 

 another cigar, and a talk with a friend or two — go home — 



