1 6 Sportsmen Parsons in Peace and War 



man to return until that halfpenny was found, so we left him 

 crawling about still on all-fours. 



At a very early age Mr. Hustler taught his daughters to 

 ride, and when they grew up said he must accompany them 

 " To look after them in the hunting field," though I think the 

 daughters were generally left to look after themselves ; but he 

 saw that they were mounted on steady and made hunters. 



He was a great admirer of the fair sex and a favourite with 

 them, in a most orthodox manner. He was one of the sweetest - 

 tempered and most courteous individuals I ever met. Once 

 when out hunting a lady came to grief and her horse was seen 

 disappearing in the distance, taking her skirt with it ; the 

 Vicar was seen in his shirt-sleeves, having gallantly handed his 

 coat to the lady as a substitute for her skirt. It was more 

 disconcerting in those days to be deprived of a habit skirt, as it 

 by no means followed that the equipment underneath was 

 suitable to the occasion. In these days of neat breeches and 

 boots it matters little what happens to the habit skirt. 



I am certain that Mr. Hustler's Yorkshire parishioners loved 

 and appreciated him for his love of sport, and with that in com- 

 mon some hearts were reached that would otherwise have 

 avoided the Parson. 



In 1874 old Thomas Hustler died, and the eldest son, not 

 wishing to live at Acklam, having other places he liked better, 

 and having no son to come after him, asked his brother George 

 if he would care to live there, in consequence of which Parson 

 Hustler gave up his living at Stillingfleet and went to reside at 

 Acklam Mdthout waiting for dead men's shoes. Then the old 

 place awoke from its lethargy, merry voices and laughter echoed 

 and re-echoed through the old hall, horses neighed in the 

 stables, and everything was cheerful ; even the rooks became 

 more eloquent and the little birds came nearer to share the 

 feasts. Strings of hunters went out exercising, strings of 

 hunting people came home to tea in the oak-panelled hall, where 

 they hunted all over again the runs of the day and argued about 

 certain incidents that had been seen by all and of which no two 

 told quite the same tale. 



Our handsome host looked hkc an old engraving, with his 

 rather long and very thick wavy grey hair and fuzzy side- 

 whiskers, pink-and-white complexion which no weather seemed 



