CHAPTER XVII 

 HUMOURS AND VAGARIES OF THE SHOW-RINGS 



I REMEMBER meeting a friend, many years since, 

 whose wife was rather a fine woman, who had been 

 younger and better looking, but still " fancied herself " 

 a good deal, and had a decent Pug, which she made a 

 point of taking to any shows held in their neighbour- 

 hood, and as I knew he had entered the Pug in two or 

 three classes at a local show where a reverend gentle- 

 man, at that time very well known as an " all round 

 judge," at many shows throughout the kingdom, was 

 officiating, I said, " Well, old fellow, and how did your 

 wife get on with her Pug? " " Oh, very badly," said 

 he, " there was a smart looking girl, with pink roses in 

 her hat, had a dog in the ring, and the judge couldn't 

 look at anything else, although our Pug was ever so 

 much better ! " 



As I happened to hear, casually, that another rev- 

 erend judge, who had been not only a very success- 

 ful breeder and exhibitor, but one of our ablest judges, 

 particularly of the non-sporting breeds, was about 

 to decline further judging, I considered, especi- 

 ally at that time, when there were few judges of ability 

 and standing, that he could be ill spared, so I wrote to 

 ask him, if I obtained a strong expression of opinion 



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