304 THE HUNTING FIELD 



Saturday (the 14th), and reiterated his conviction that we 

 should catcJi it yet. 



" We really believe \ve may have too old an oldest 

 inhabitant," continued we, thrusting our hands, a la D' Israeli, 

 into our breeches pockets, and pacing about our apartment. 

 If we knew where to lay hands on one from a hundred to a 

 hundred and fifty years old, we really think we would "shelf" 

 this oldest inhabitant, for he is evidently getting in arrear of 

 the times. 



A change then came o'er the spirit of our dream. 



All our northern and midland letters of the i8th of March, 

 spoke of the withering influence of the preceding day. They 

 said the weather was cutting cold, with every appearance of a 

 fall. When people talk of a fall, in relation to the weather, it 

 always means "snow" — rain they designate by its proper 

 title. We would not have met our " oldest inhabitant " that 

 day for something. Not that the old man would have exulted 

 over us, for Widdicombe and he are far removed above the 

 scornful passions and prejudices of the world ; but our own 

 conscience would have upbraided us for doubting the accuracy 

 of the ancient. Straightway we went to the leather-breeched 

 ancient on Snow-hill, and bought our " oldest inhabitant " 

 half a hundred weight of fleecy hosiery. Nor was the present 

 unseasonable, for the Scotch, northern, and midland papers of 

 that week's end brought up direful accounts of hurricanes, 

 tempests, and tremendous snow-storms, accompanied by 

 nipping frosts. At Newcastle-upon-Tyne, \\here the civiliza- 

 tion of railway shoots across the island to Carlisle, the black- 

 faced ones were uncommonly well powdered. It appears by 

 the prints of that region, that her Majesty's mail-bags are 

 conveyed onward to " Auld Reekie " by means of coaches and 

 horses, and they talked of si.x horses being necessary on parts 

 of the road. Such doings sound queer in our raihvaj'-netted 



