THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 363 



sufferings of so kind and excellent a mother. I know not 

 in what manner I can at this moment best endeavour to 

 contribute towards this much desired end, than to assure 

 you, at once, of my earnest wish that you should remain 

 at the Abbey so long as you may desire to do so, con- 

 sidering all that is within and without it at your entire 

 service ; and further, should you find, at the year's end, 

 the provision my lamented father has made for you not 

 equal to the expenses of keeping it up, the deficiency shall 

 be made good by me. Our hearts, I am sure, are at 

 present too full to discuss such subjects in person, which 

 is the reason of my thus addressing you by letter ; but let 

 me entreat you, for the sake of my sisters, myself, and 

 your friends, to bear up with all your might against the 

 blow which has thus stricken you unawares and deprived 

 you of (I fear) all that has hitherto given a relish to the 

 pursuits and pleasures of the greater part of your life. 

 But be comforted. My reading has informed me that 

 there are three ways of bearing up against the ills and 

 misfortunes of life indifference, philosophy, and religion. 

 The first forms no feature in your character ; the second 

 is a manly virtue, but, in the first transports of affliction, 

 of too stern an aspect to gain admittance to a woman's 

 breast ; it is in the third and last that you will find the 

 healing balm, and next to that in the affection and 

 gratitude of your daughters, the esteem of your friends, 

 and in the full assurance of the strict performance, not 

 only of what is now offered to you, but of every act of love 

 and duty on the part of Your truly affectionate son, 



" FRANCIS RABY. 

 " AMSTEAD, March 10, 18 ." 



It is said by a writer whose celebrity, perhaps, does no 

 great honour to the feelings of human nature, that, let a 

 man die amidst ever so many lamentations, if he could 

 rise again from his grave, after the lapse of a short period, 

 his reappearance upon earth would not be found to be 

 productive of unmingled satisfaction among his relations 

 and friends who had wept over his closing grave. But 

 we are happy to say our hero was not one of this class. 

 With an income already equal to all his wants, and all his 

 wishes ; with health and spirits, which gave the highest 

 zest to the enjoyment of them, what more could he desire ? 

 In fact, he may be said to have had but oiie wish not within 



