HORSES AND HOUNDS. 131 



(and his happened to be a very hilly country), he would give 

 Jack a bye-day on foot. I have seen Jack puffing and blowing 

 like a grampus up the hills, and the squire urging him to greater 

 exertions when he was ready to drop. " Oh ! sir, I cannot go 

 no faster, I'm bio wed already." — '* Oh, you are, are you, Mr. 

 Jack ? then I suppose you will recollect that your horse may be 

 blowed as well as you another time." These practical lessons 

 generally had the most decided effect ; the threat of repeating 

 the dose proving sufficient to check any little ebullition of 

 temper, either with '>vhip or spur. Nothing like practical illus- 

 trations with some minds, whose comprehensions cannot or will 

 not take it otherwise — as the worthy pastor, who could not make 

 Farmer Coulter understand the nature of^ a miracle without a 

 personal experiment. 



Farmer John had often pestered his worthy rector for ex- 

 planations about miracles, but he never could quite get at the 

 gist of the matter ; so, bothering him one morning again, on 

 going to church, the doctor told Mr. John Coulter if he would 

 wait in the porch after service he would give him_ a most con- 

 vincing proof, as every other had failed. Accordingly, having 

 disposed of his canonicals, the worthy rector quietly approached 

 the porch, where John was waiting for the exjjlanation, Mr. 

 Coulter was looking musingly into the churchyard, with his 

 back to the door, when liis pastor quietly approaching, lent John 

 such a kick in the rear as nearly to lift him off his legs. " Oh 

 dear, sir, how you did hurt." — " Well, John, it would have been 

 a miracle if I had not — are you satisfied now what a miracle 

 is ?" — " Quite, sir," replied John ; " but next time don't ye kick 

 quite so hard." 



I was obliged to employ a similar argument once with a 

 second whipper-in I had, who was occasionally addicted to 

 taking rather more of aqua vitae than was good for his health or 

 understanding. My first whip being sent out on business, Tom 

 was left in charge of the hounds, with strong injunctions not to 

 leave the kennel until his return. It was during the summer 

 months, and rather warm weather. Some gentlemen came to see 

 the hounds, and Tom, having performed the part of master of 

 ceremonies to their satisfaction, was by them invited to take a 

 glass at the public house, that they might suck his brains a little 

 about the hounds. Tom took a tolerable supply of suction, as 

 much, or rather more, than he could carry home quite comfort- 

 ably, and made for the kennels again. Here, having little to do, 

 he thought he would employ his time in putting the old and 

 young hounds together, to judge himself how they would look. 

 Happening to pass by at the time, and hearing a great deal of 



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