COL. ANSTRUTHER THOMSON 407 



very fairly considering that the rinderpest is dead 

 against it, and hardly a Scotch editor knows what 

 to make out of such beef and mutton, greyhound and 

 foxhound worship. One was very much disgusted 

 at the prominence given to Joe Graham in Dumfries- 

 shire hunting (because Mr. Carruthers has no in- 

 dividuality about him, and wouldn't act as a 'head 

 centre'). Hence it says with great scorn, 'Joe 

 Graham, who figures in their pages as the leading 

 man in the country'. 



" I was near Donnington, alias Rackrent Castle, 

 the other day. The presentation of Bibles on two 

 different occasions by the tenantry does not seem to 

 have effected much. The Sundays, I am told, are 

 fearful. I never heard of such extravagance. They 

 do say the pony races, etc., cost ; 1,500. They 

 took their own champagne to the Ashby ball, and 

 one or two of the party never got further than a 

 private room, where they sat and enjoyed the cham- 

 pagne. Then the Marquis slipped an open knife 

 into a friend's coat pocket unawares and caused him 

 to cut his hands. Such are the floating stories of 

 this much degenerated Donnington. 



" I am quietly going through the English counties 

 for another look, and have done five. What with 

 those three heavy Scotch summers and asthma I 

 have had the steel pretty well taken out of me, and 

 cannot work as I did, when I sent every proof to 

 Fawsley. 



" Poor old Sir Charles would have gloried to see 

 the Pytchley in the form you have them once more. 



