LETTER I. d 



yourself you may know, from experience, what is re- 

 quired of them, and be able to tell them what to do, 

 instead of their telling you." Having experienced once 

 or twice before the consequences of lightly treating the 

 " Laws of the Medes and Persians," there was no alterna- 

 tive left but submission. Fond of my pony, and fond of 

 riding, I set to work with energy, and scrubbed away 

 until I was sometimes ready to cry with vexation at the 

 little progress I made on his bear-like hide. Soon, 

 however, as a reward for my perseverance, a lad was 

 given me to assist in these labours ; and then, indeed, I 

 was happy. 



You are not to infer from this early tuition that my 

 father was a man of very limited income, quite the con- 

 trary; but he was (although the kindest and best of 

 parents) one of the old school, and a strict disciplinarian. 

 He brought up his children as the Spartans of old, to 

 meet danger boldly, and to overcome difficulties by per- 

 severance. From childhood we were taught to ride and 

 disregard falls, and at ten years of age we had guns put 

 into our hands — puny weapons, indeed, and made for 

 our particular use. After a few lessons at priming and 

 loading, and firing at a mark, we were allowed to roam 

 the fields and farm yard in quest of our game, separately, 

 never together. Such was the regulation issued from 

 head quarters. Considerable havoc was made among 

 the sparrows, and a blackbird was looked upon by such 

 urchins in the light of a blackcock. 



But I am rambling away from my subject. There is 

 no absolute necessity for a master of hounds being a good 

 groom, although there is for his being a good rider, if 

 he intends to hunt his own pack, and see the end as well 



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