November's Joys 



coverts were always full of foxes ; their hospi- 

 tality to their hunting friends was unbounded; 

 and about once in three or four seasons they had 

 a lawn meet — generally be it said in November, 

 and at any rate on that day they were as keen 

 as the keenest — keen that everyone, gentle and 

 simple, should have his or her share of the 

 creature comforts " in that case made and pro- 

 vided " ; keen that the home coverts should pro- 

 vide foxes ; keener still that the home-bred foxes 

 should show good sport; and in the seventh 

 heaven of delight if, after a good run, one of the 

 home-bred foxes should manage to beat hounds 

 at the finish. 



The opening day of the season generally 

 takes place at the residence of some well-known 

 hunting man whose coverts are always full of 

 foxes, and who is found hunting regularly from 

 October to April. In some hunts, where happily 

 the master has had a long reign of office, the 

 opening fixture is at his house, though this 

 is by no means always the case ; and there is 

 a sort of unwritten law, that as the opening 

 day of the regular season always finds the 



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