A Sport smans Christmas 229 



pensive, melancholy air, doubtless musing 

 upon the uncertainty of mundane matters, 

 and the precarious tenure of feathered 

 existence. 



But to return to our noble selves. Do we 

 not all look forward to this joyous season in 

 order that we may, without offence to 

 modesty, exhibit the unstinted generosity of 

 our natures ? Is it not an unmitigated 

 pleasure for us to keep our hands perpetually 

 diving into our pockets in order to produce 

 the requisite sixpences, shillings, and half- 

 crowns, yclept "Christmas boxes," which 

 every varlet, from the kennel-boy to the head 

 keeper and huntsman, silently, but not the 

 less imperatively, demands, expressive by 

 the studied courtesy of the manner in which 

 they salute you. Dear me, yes ! it is too 

 truly delightful to realise that we are literally 

 fulfilling that precept regarding the blessed- 

 ness of giving. And then the tradesmen's 



