CHRISTMASSING 59 



consignment to the kennels. Then the moment the poor 

 brute groans forth his sepulchral cough, let Smartness 

 job him twice in the mouth and kick him lustily in the 

 ribs, repeating the application as often as occasion may 

 offer. This treatment, if properly persevered in, should, 

 even if it fail to effect a complete cure, at least suffice to 

 keep in check the more aggravating symptoms of the 

 malady. 



Weather requires no historian ; and its prophets, if not 

 altogether worthless, are by no means far-seeing. Yet 

 was I told as plainly as possible on Friday that this cold 

 spell was in store. I believe thoroughly in bird-omen, 

 do not yoti — at least if you were born in the country and 

 brought up among nature and its life ? On Friday not 

 , only did a fieldfare cross my path as I trotted to covert, 

 but a weird grey owl kept me company for fully half a 

 mile on my long ride homeward ! Along a high-fenced 

 narrow lane he moved noiselessly before me, so close that 

 I expected every moment to throw my thong round him 

 as I held my arm in readiness, like a whipper-in intent on 

 punishing riot. JVhv the "bird of wisdom" hovered so 

 near to me for so long I cannot explain, except on the 

 hypothesis of extremes being attracted one to the other. 

 But I am stating a fact, and I made up my mind at once 

 that the omen was unpropitious, and that it pointed to 

 nothing else than frost. 



An excellent, nay, an unavoidable opportunity is this 

 horrid week for the study of Christmas accounts. Let us 

 hope you may all come out of them as cheerfully as our 

 old friend Pepys, who on one occasion wound up by 

 stating that he was " mighty content, being creditor 

 ;^69oo, for which," he added with heart and soul, " the 

 Lord of Heaven be praised ! " If you are in such happy 

 case, don't fail to notice that the Hunt secretaries are 

 thirsting for your blood, or, rather, hungering for your 

 shekel* ; also that there are a good many bricks not yet 

 paid for in a kennel to which we are indebted for sport 

 of the best and management of the most liberal de- 

 scription. 



