SINGEING V. CLIPPING 



343 



unwell and out of spirits in the bargain, I perceived that unless 

 I sacrificed to-morrow and laid up, 1 should probably knock up 

 and then have to make a greater sacrifice. I was the more 

 inclined to take this prudential step, from the fixture to-morrow 

 being at Widmerpool, which is reputed to be a very bad 

 country, woodland, heavy and clayey, plough land, small fields 

 and blind fences, but like all other bad countries sometimes 

 showing capital sport. 



Friday, November 6th, 1846. A lovely clear day would 

 have made me regret my prudence, had the state of my health 

 and strength made the expediency of the measure more doubt- 

 ful. As it is, with a day's rest and care, to-day an easy distance 

 (three miles), to-morrow, followed by the rest of Sunday, will, I 

 hope, set me up, and render any further sacrifices of a similar 

 nature unnecessary. I amused myself to-day by looking at 

 the horses in the stable, ordering "Cognac" to be clipped, a 

 process I cannot bear, but necessary in the present state of his 

 coat ; on taking a stroll across the fields towards Kirby, 

 accompanied by Snap ; in partaking of an early and invalid 

 dinner, followed by a copious supply of tea (which would have 

 made Frank exclaim against the horrors of excess in tea drink- 

 ing) ; in writing letters home, and getting up an arrear of these 

 notes which may, I hope, call to my recollection years hence the 

 present times and scenes, when I shall no doubt regard with 

 a very different eye and feeling to those with which I now 

 behold them. 



Before another season I must endeavour to recollect to have 

 the singeing lamp used once a fortnight as soon as the coat 

 begins to start. This will bring them out, when the season 

 arrives, fine and short-coated and without any appearance of 

 the coat having been tampered with. I am indebted to 

 William Mason for this hint, who, though sticking to his 

 business and always in the house, takes a great interest in 

 horses and hunting (not that this is to be wondered at), imparts 

 his experience very freely and good-naturedly, and in addition 

 to making one feel that his house is about the most comfortable 

 and more like home than almost any hotel I have ever stayed 

 in — amusing me while waiting at table with gossip and 

 anecdotes of bygones, as well as present men and things. The 

 horses also seem to be as comfortable as the master, to have 

 everything they require and to be doing well, so that all these 

 are considerable sets off against the disadvantage of beingf some 

 distance from the best of the country. 



Saturday, November 7th. I got up this morning feeling 



