256 THE TEINITY FOOT BEAGLES 



always a merry evening. I am sure that it did good, and that it was 

 appreciated by the farmers." 



In those days the dinner was given in a room in Green Street, 

 wMch began life as the Debating Hall of the Union, and we were set 

 round the tables two and two (i.e. two farmers together and then two 

 'Varsity men), so that every man had a farmer for a neighbour on 

 one side and an undergraduate on the other. I have often wondered 

 why ordinary dinner-parties are not arranged in that way, as then 

 every guest would have both a man and a woman to talk to. After 

 dinner came speeches in which there was plenty of " butter," and I 

 remember the speech of one of those of whom the Farmers' Book 

 records that he was "quite fond of getting on liis legs." During 

 dinner old " Wliite-headed Bob," the blind fiddler, used to play tunes, 

 and of course there were songs. I remember Ijeing commandeered 

 on to my legs and the only thing I could think of (I can't sing for 

 nuts) was "Three Jolly Post Boys," and of course we had "We'll 

 all go a-hunting to-day," which, I think, Sleath-Green, Master of the 

 Drag, sang. J. S. Carr-Ellison had a fine repertoire of Irish songs 

 of the Ballyhooly kind, of which the refrain of his best was — 



Every man provides his donkey 

 In the Ballylooby Horse. 



And Willoughby (the Hon. G. H. D., Master of the Drag) had a 



great song about one 



Mrs. Grady, 

 A widow Lady, 

 Has a daughter whom I adore. 



No one could attend the dinner who did not pay for a farmer as 

 well as himself, and so the farmer who sat next to one was in a real 

 sense one's personal guest, and I think we all felt the obligation not 

 merely of providing good eating and drinking for those on whose 

 land we hunted, but also of exerting ourselves to be agreeable. And 

 so we really did enjoy the dinner. 



In those days there were A.D.C. smokers, which were a sort 

 of amateur music-hall show. For these you could get a pass in 

 from any member, and a fair number of beaglers used to attend. 

 " Mrs. Grady " was a most popular turn, and so was a man who 



