io CONVERSATIONAL HINTS 



party of genial, light-hearted friends who went out 

 shooting. Early in the day, slight differences of 

 opinion made themselves observed with reference to 

 the size of shot. Lunch found them still more or 

 less good-tempered, but each obstinately determined 

 not to give way even by a fraction on the point 

 under discussion. 



Afterwards they began again. The very dogs 

 grew ashamed of the noise, and went home. That 

 afternoon there was peace in the world of birds at 

 least, on that particular shooting and the next 

 morning saw the shooting-parties of England re- 

 duced by one, which had separated in different dog- 

 carts, and various stages of high dudgeon, for the 

 railway station. So, please to be very, very careful. 

 Use the methods of compromise. If you find your 

 friend obstinately pinned to No. 5, when you have 

 declared a preference for No. 6, meet him half-way, 

 or even profess to be converted by his arguments. 

 Or tell him the anecdote about the Irishman, who 

 always shot snipe with No. 4, because, ' being such 

 a little bird, bedad, you want a bigger shot to get 

 at the beggar.' You can then inform him how you 

 yourself once did dreadful execution among driven 

 grouse in a gale of wind with No. 8 shot, which you 



