116 MANAGEMENT OF HOUNDS. 



do you remember the old tune of * Drops of Brandy V " 



" Come along, Sir ; I remember all about it now. Here, 



Jack, Thomas, come and take this gentleman's horse.'* 



The last place of our meeting had been at a ball, given 



by his landlord to all the tenantry, and after being quite 



tired with quadrille and waltz tunes, he had begged me 



to get up a country dance, to his favorite tune of " Drops 



of Brandy." This, after some little persuasion with the 



ladies, and an explanatory whistle to the musicians, who 



pretended they had never heard of such a tune, I at last 



effected, to the great delight of my old friend, whose 



heart and soul seemed in the dance, although too far 



advanced in years to join in bodily exertion. I fancy I 



can see him now, with his jovial good-humoured face, 



snapping his fingers, and cheering us on when flagging. 



To please him I kept it going as long as I could hold 



six or seven couples together, in which 1 was kindly 



assisted by one of the young ladies, a geat favourite with 



the old gentleman ; but we were at last fairly beaten, 



and from that hour I have never forgotten " Drops of 



Brandy." 



Having seen my horse snugly provided for in a good 

 warm stable, with plenty of assistants to rub him down, 

 I accompanied my worthy host to the house, where a 

 good dinner, under the able superintendence of Miss P., 

 as she was always called, was soon provided for us, and 

 we sat down to enjoy ourselves, and talk of the days of 

 " Auld Lang Syne." Drops of brandy were not for- 

 gotten, with which, after my long and cold ride, I was 

 not sorry to renew my acquaintance, when, after dinner, 

 we drew round to the fire, and settled comfortably down 

 in our easy chairs for the evening. We retired to rest 



