OlyD TIMES AND OIvD CHARACTERS 



penance sheet." Further explanation revealed 

 the fact that for her frailty " Auld Anne" had 

 been required to do penance by appearing at 

 church in a white sheet and holding a candle in 

 her hand. 



In the old days the shepherds brought their 

 dogs with them to church, and the most unruly 

 members of the canine crew were kept from en- 

 tering the edifice by a dog-gate, specially erected 

 for their benefit. Certain of the ancient village 

 churches were thatched, and it is said that during 

 a particularly severe winter the Herd wick sheep 

 ate away the entire roof of one church. Once, 

 as the parson was saying, " Behold, I come 

 quickly," the pulpit gave way and the good man 

 was deposited in the lap of an ancient dame 

 sitting in the front pew. The old churches were 

 kept in very bad repair, the floors often being of 

 plain earth. Although the old-type of hunting 

 parson has long disappeared there are yet a 

 number of clerics who love the sound of horn and 

 hound. The late Rev. E. M. Reynolds was 

 Master of the Coniston from 1881 to 1908, and was 

 remarkably active despite his seventy odd years, 

 and one of England's premier lawn tennis players 

 and skaters in his day. A well-known and much 

 beloved parson hunts regularly with the Coniston 

 when they are in his neighbourhood, and though 

 beyond " three score and ten," he can still show 

 the way to many a much younger man over rough 

 fell ground. It was he who on hearing hounds 

 running across Windermere lyake jumped into a 

 boat shod only in his slippers, and at the end of 

 the day his foot gear afforded little or no pro- 

 tection to his feet. Well may we say in the words 

 of the old song : 



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