CHAPTEE XII. 



Life at Fir Hill — Serves the office of High Sheriff of Hants — 

 Various suggestions and improvements. 



Having finally retired from tlie mastership 

 of hounds, Mr. Smith naturally expected to be 

 allowed to withdraw himself altogether from 

 public life. ^N'ot that he desired to live idly, 

 as the following pages will show, being quite 

 prepared to fulfil all the ordinary duties of a 

 country gentleman ; but he was disappointed. 

 The higher powers called on him to serve the 

 office of High Sheriff of his native county of 

 Hants for the year 1858 ; and he entered with 

 all his accustomed energy on this new field of 

 duty. On his very first attendance at the 

 courts at Winchester he was forcibly struck 

 by the amount of crime that seemed indis- 



