THOROUGHLY ENJOYED LIFE. I II 



I suppose there are limits, however, even to the worship 

 of Diana, and it is to be feared, that whilst gloriously 

 careering over the wide pastures of Leicestershire, Dick did 

 not pay heed to the old proverb, which says : — 



He who by the plough would thrive, 

 Must either hold the plough or drive. 



For although he began life under such favourable condi- 

 tions he did not thrive ; bad seasons came, sheep died of 

 fluke, etc., and like many another good man at this period, 

 he suffered serious reverses. 



With advancing years and no horses of his own, he was 

 glad to " school " a rough customer for owner or dealer ; but 

 towards the last even the latter seemed unable to find him 

 a mount, and as he gradually fell into indigent circum- 

 stances he began to feel himself forsaken, and to realize as 

 many men have done before, and since, that : — 



It's a very good world to live in, 



To spend, and to lend, and to give in ; 



But to beg or to borrow, or get back one's own, 



'Tis the very worst world that ever was known ! 



But, whoever else might fail to render him assistance, 

 there was one who did not forget him when the sun of his 

 prosperity had set, and this was the old fox-hunting Parson, 

 the Vicar of Norton. And when the end was approaching, 

 Dick said he did not want to see *' no town Parson," but sent 

 a special messenger seven miles to his Reverence, bv whose 

 side he had ridden many hundreds, as the only one likely 

 to afford him comfort and consolation. At that last inter- 

 view, a brave attempt to cheer him up, by recalling the 

 happy past, succeeded in eliciting from the dying Nimrod 

 that he had thoroughly enjoyed life; but for all that, he 

 was inclined to think the Preacher was riMit in describing 

 life as "all Vanity." "^ 



Apropos of above, I may remark that probably most of 



