i88 THE SPORT OF KINGS 



got them all over a country, and in a good 

 place too. Plough or pasture was all the same 

 to him, and he kept his nerve longer than most 

 men. And in his profession, who so earnest as 

 he ; who so welcome in the cottages of the poor 

 and the home of the ailing ; who so prodigal of 

 his own goods in relieving the necessities of others ? 

 Hard-working parish priest and polished gentle- 

 man, it would have been cruel, indeed, to prevent 

 him taking a few hours' necessary exercise and 

 recreation in the way congenial to his own tastes. 

 I look upon this fox-hunting friend of mine as a 

 model for imitation. 



A hunting parson, however, needs to be careful 

 how he hunts when professional duties call him at 

 a given hour on a hunting day. A gentleman of 

 my acquaintance had just gone to a new neighbour- 

 hood, and hounds met close at hand. They found 

 at once, and had one of those great runs which 

 only happen now and again, and the fox had been 

 broken up. My friend asked, " How far is it to 

 X. ? " Judge of his dismay when he was told that 

 he was some seventeen miles off, for he had a 

 funeral at three, and it was well past one o'clock. 

 His horse was done to a turn, and when he told 

 his trouble he was informed that it was impossible 

 to get to X. in time. So it was on the horse he 

 was riding, but a good fellow who was present 

 helped him out of his difficulty by borrowing a 

 fresh horse for him, and he arrived home in 

 ample time for the funeral. But since then he 

 has been very careful about hunting in a country 

 he does not know when he chances to have an 

 appointment. 



