SPORT AND TEAVEL PAPERS 



A REMINISCENCE 



THE 10th of December, 18 , was a great day for the village 

 of G., situated in the northern part of Germany; for were 

 not the adjoining coverts to be shot, and were not all the young 

 men enlisted as beaters, and the old curious to know what the 

 bag would be ? a matter already discussed and talked over for 

 many an evening in the favourite beerhouse, over numerous 

 glasses, and many a pipe. 



The train from the neighbouring town had just come to a stop 

 at the little station where the villagers were assembled to watch 

 the arrival of the shooters, who, wrapped in enormous fur coats 

 for it was very cold were slowly descending from the 

 carriages. The keepers having taken charge of the several guns, 

 all carefully cased in leathern covers, and of an equal number of 

 those now old-fashioned carpet-bags, then so strikingly worked 

 in wool, with designs of various animals of the chase, or with 

 gorgeous wreaths of flowers more or less true to nature, or 

 devices such as " safe voyage," &c., the party walked to the 

 Station inn, attended by an admiring crowd of villagers, to leave 

 coats and get ready for the serious work before it. The buxom 

 landlady with the latest baby in her arms, and her sleepy-looking 

 husband in shirt sleeves and wooden shoes with the mouth- 

 piece of a long German pipe between his teeth greet the 

 arrivals, as host and hostess should, and usher them into the 

 parlour ; this very stuffy apartment has a sanded floor, a bar in 

 one corner and iron stove in the other, and two or three tables 

 and wooden benches ranged along the wall. Heavy coats are 



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