THE MILLWOOD AND OWL'S NEST 



were — when we saw the sun rise from the top of Nobscot Mountain! Two 

 or three times a week the hounds went out, the Field consisting of the family 

 and any friends who happened to be on hand. Scrambled eggs and coffee 

 before it was light, a new horse to try or an old one to exercise — likely 

 enough a couple or two of new hounds or youngsters — and the duties of 

 town or college seemed to have mighty little place in the minds of the party 

 that started away from the house. 



"One of the events always looked forward to and planned for with much 

 pleasure was the visit of the Myopia hounds under the Mastership of Frank 

 Seabury, Esq. Many of the Myopia Field, men and women, came with 

 their horses and servants, to be quartered either at the little Inn in the village 

 or to be guests at ' Millwood.' Such evenings as we had before the big hall 

 fireplace, the huntsman coming for his morning orders, interrupting the stories 

 and music ! Sometimes there was a supper followed by dancing to the 

 music of two fiddlers at the old Wayside Inn in Sudbury where of late years 

 the Norfolk and Middlesex hounds have held many a successful meet. 

 Frank Codman was there and Ned Choate, ' Marsh ' Abbott and George 

 Warren and his sister, and Murray Forbes, Fletcher Abbott and many 

 another, some of whom have now gone on, although the old Master, Mr. 

 Frank Seabury, is still in the saddle. If all these recollections of those old 

 days are neither useful nor scientific data on fox-hunting, at least they con- 

 stitute the pleasantest elements of the whole thing and will be remembered 

 for many a long year by those of us who enjoyed them. 



"But there was no lack of hard riding at times and although there were 

 no scarlet coats, except when the Myopia people joined us, horses were 

 turned out in a workmanhke fashion. 



" There were no Horse or Hound shows then, and no particular incentive 

 to correct appointments, but there certainly was fox-hunting under the 

 pleasantest conditions." 



After Mr. Bowditch's death, in 1 892, the life of the hunting went out for 



a time, though it was gradually taken up again by Mr. N. I. Bowditch, to 



whom the hereditary Mastership of the country had descended. Since 1 895, 



the hunting has been more active, although lack of time to devote to it has 



95 



