SIR JOHN B. MILLS. 



in the patron I have named he had one who made up 

 in goodness for the paucity of numbers of those who 



honoured him with their confidence. Mr. A , after 



training with him for fifteen years without winning, 

 came to Stockbridge to see his mare La Malheureuse 

 run in the race next day. In the evening Mr. 



A said to my cousin : 



' I hope we shall win, Sam, to-morrow.' 

 ' Oh yes,' was the reply ; ' we shall win, but you 

 are always in such a hurry,' an answer which I need 



not say caused hearty laughter. As Mr. A 



raced in Sam's name, I don't know what horses he 

 had, nor is it important that their names should be 

 set down. It must suffice to say that on this occa- 

 sion the mare did win, after running a dead-heat. 

 I should add that my cousin was, I think, the laziest 

 man I ever saw. He was almost too lazy to eat and 

 drink, and died when quite a young man, though 

 not from want of sustenance. In fact, he was just 

 the opposite to the industrious American who, we are 

 told, ran so fast that he overtook his own shadow. 



Sir John suffered martyrdom from the gout, 

 occasioned partly, no doubt, by his own indiscretion. 

 He was fond of fishing, and an excellent fisherman ; 

 and after every attack of his old enemy, he would, 

 as soon as he was a little better, with the assistance 

 of a stick or an attendant, hobble into the meadow 

 through which the river Test runs, near to the 

 Abbey, where mostly he caught — besides fish — a 



