CHAPTER XIX 



"JOVIAL HUNTSMEN": SOME CHEISTMAS REFLECTIONS 



The " Festive Season " is with us again, with its 

 showers of postcards and swarms of pictorial annuals. 

 As usual, the artists have been busy depicting strange 

 scenes from the hunting-field, and hounds are once 

 again running their hardest over snow-clad pastures. 



Ever since Ralph Caldecott produced his delightfvil 

 picture-books and his amusing sketches for the 

 Christmas numbers of the Graphic^ the British fox- 

 hunter, and particularly he of the early Georgian 

 era, has been a most favourite subject for Yuletide 

 illustrations. 



How well we know his voluminous scarlet coat 

 wide skirted, and reaching well below the dark 

 mahogany tops ; the broad knee garter encircling 

 the leg above the knee, or the bunch of dangling 

 ribbons below ! How familiar the mulberry com- 

 plexion — suggestive of " collar glasses," " bumpers of 

 fine fruity old port," and much toasting of the 

 "favourite lass," as well as frequent libations in 

 honour of horse and hound when they " passed the 

 bottle round ! " 



The " Jovial Huntsman ! " — he is always thus repre- 



