266 THE CREAM OF LEICESTERSHIRE. [Seasox 



of sunsliine. To ride home with him at night Avas a cheery 

 sunset. He was not, generally, deemed a sm-passing horseman. 

 He went out to amuse himself, and did it thoroughly — seeing a 

 gi-eat deal of hounds, and picking his own way where he and 

 his horse could hest learn to adjust themselves to each other's 

 taste. Nothing Avas more pleasant to him than to educate a 

 willing well bred pupil to jump to his liand and gallop on the 

 finger. I fancy I can see him in that last canter — sitting down 

 in his saddle, his head bent over to watch " the snort and 

 strain on the yielding rein " as he " humoured the " too -willing 

 " mare," his hands down almost on the ponnnel, and all the 

 while he kept up a pleasant How of talk with whoever rode 

 heside him. If his death was a sudden one, and to his fri(*nds 

 a terrible stunning blow, I trust there is nothing impious in 

 the thought that perhaps lie himself — who pleaded that man's 

 most Avorthy death Avas in harness, and that it Avere better CA'er 

 that fruit should be gathered Avhen ripe rather than be left to 

 fall from the tree, — Avould have cliosen liis fan-well thus, in the 

 midst of the glorious pursuit he had made esj^ecially his OAvn. 

 Indeed, he died Avlien his fruit Avas yet ripe ; and he died in the 

 zenith of his fame as an author. He has died Avhen his OAvn 

 world will lament him, Avring their hands bitterly oA'er their 

 grievous loss, and sorroAv earnestly for Whyte Melville. Was 

 there something prophetic, in that the last lines he published 

 were entitled FarcivdU Surely, at any rate, there Avas an 

 augurv in those former Avords of his (ringing now for nights 

 past in my ears), 



It's worth tlie risk of life and limb and neck, boys, 



To see them glance and stoop 



Till they finish with who-whoop, 

 Forty minutes o'er the grass without a check, l)oys. 



Only a Postscript in mcmoriam. There have been paragraplis 

 with large-letter headings Avritten for the midtitude ; and tliere 

 have been Avords of vivid heart-felt sorroAv printed for sympa- 

 thetic eyes. But his oAvn words give it more plainly, more 

 feelingly, more tearfully noAV, than any outside utterance. 

 Why have they not been quoted ? "To me it seems that there 



