" CARLOW " DRAWS MR. V. TO CHURCH ON HIS WEDDING DAY 383 



Altogether I enjoyed the day amazingly, saw the Cockneys 

 and the scene, had a capital run (all the more prized from being 

 beyond our expectation) and was delighted by an old favourite 

 horse. I now regretted neither the loss of the drag with the 

 Beagles, nor the omission of the foxhounds to come to Black- 

 more, and I was further pleased by finding that my selection 

 of the hounds on Saturday had been fortunate, for I had 

 avoided a blank day with Conyers. " Trap," who looks 

 perfectly beautiful and was in tip-top condition, was very 

 violent, rushed into the first fence, and Beckington could do 

 nothing with him, but like an old stager still kept on the line 

 and saw the finish. Even after allowing for all who crept up 

 from knowledge of the country, or while the stag was being 

 taken, there were only about thirty or forty out of the multitude 

 who started. Giving the horses some chilled water at the 

 " Cock " at Epping we trotted home, taking the bridle 

 road* from Tyler's Green to Chipping Ongar, and thence to 

 Stondon, and across the fields to Blackmore, which we reached 

 at 6 o'clock, "Chancellor" very tired but game, and going- 

 well to the last, and "Trap" as fresh, rash, and hot, as when 

 he started. So much for condition ! 



" Carlow " DRAWS Mr. Vickerman to Church on his 



Wedding Day. 



Friday, August 30th. An important day for good or ill 

 in the career of every one, is the day of his marriage. Mine 

 being fixed before poor John's t untimely fate, neither his poor 

 widow nor mother considered it desirable to postpone it, as a 

 year's postponement must have been involved. The day was 

 bright, brilliant and beautiful, and the drive to Hornchurch 

 in the brougham, drawn by my two favourites, "Carlow" and 

 " Rocket," and with the chaise in attendance drawn by " Trap " 

 and the filly and conveying Gale (the bridegroom's man) and 

 Jack, was an enjoyable and auspicious commencement of the 

 day. 



Having on my return from my recent visit to Wales 

 expressed regret that I had not sooner thought of getting 

 "Carlow" fit to take me to church and convey my wife from 

 it to our home, I was much pleased on entering the stable 

 later in the day to find Beckington and Stone with shirt sleeves 

 tucked up to the elbow and with poor old "Carlow" between 



* Where is the bridle road now? Like a good many more, shut up, I am afraid. — Ed. 

 t His brother, who was drowned, when attempting to cross with his chaise Egremont Ford, 

 in the little river Cleddan, on August 5th. — Ed. 



