46 THE PIGEON-FANCIER. 



another skilful manoeuvre, by which he adroitly 

 turned the wayward tendencies of his son. We 

 were playing a round game at cards at an even- 

 ing party. I enjoyed the game cards were 

 new to me. I never saw them at home they 

 savoured too much of the world, the flesh, and 

 the devil. When the game was finished my 

 father rose and said it was time to go home. 

 " I'll stay a little longer," I replied, " and play 

 another game." "You had better come now," 

 he said ; " if you want to play cards, play with 

 me at home." We left together. I was per- 

 fectly good-humoured : the suggestion pleased 

 me. My father bought a pack of cards and 

 taught me to play, and many and many a merry 

 winter's night we two spent with the cribbage- 

 board between us, and my mother looking on. 

 The passion for cards soon abated ; I played in 

 good company, and had plenty of fun, without 

 the accursed adjuncts of drinking and gambling. 

 With my establishment in full swing another 

 ambition burned in my breast I must have a 

 pair of shortfaced birds. So, together with my 

 friend, I visited an old Fancier resident at Bow ; 

 we each purchased of him a pair of almond-bred 

 birds, Chapman strain. My poor plebeian Bald- 

 h<*ads doubtless felt degraded by this intro- 



