70 Sportsmen Parsons in Peace and War 



had brought with them in the drawing-room of the rectory, the 

 curate partaking of his in another part of the house. The two 

 friends were enjoying their cold chicken, salad, and sherry, 

 when a mounted youth galloped up to the front door in full 

 view of the luncheon-party. " Another writter, you may 

 depend," groaned Dean Hole, hastily hiding the chicken and 

 the sherry under the sofa, and arranging the valance in front of 

 them. Parson Burnaby then sallied out, not doubting that it 

 was indeed another writ-server, and asked in his brusquest 

 manner, " Well, how much this time ? " To his surprise the 

 rider became extremely angry and rode away again at top 

 speed. It was not until the galloping figure was out of sight 

 that parson Burnaby remembered that it was the son of the 

 late Sir Frederick Fowke, whom he had invited to have luncheon 

 with them. 



At last the curate was got rid of and moved into lodgings in 

 a neighbouring town, where he continued his practice of paying 

 no rent. As the lodgings were usually let to hunting men who 

 paid well and asked no questions, the landlord soon tired of the 

 curate, who had occupied the rooms for six weeks with his wife 

 and family, his only payment having been that once, in a moment 

 of expansion, he gave the landlord's little boy " six penn'orth 

 of sweets." This was the last straw, and that night the curate 

 found that all the blankets had been removed from the bed. 

 After this he migrated to Scarborough, and shortly afterwards 

 made another — but this time compulsory — migration to York 

 Castle until some pressing debts were paid. 



After the curate had left the rectory parson Burnaby was 

 busy straightening up the place, when one of the curate's local 

 creditors came to see if there was anything he could take 

 possession of to repay him in some measure for his losses, which 

 consisted of groceries. There was nothing for him except a 

 large pile of empty bottles, which he plaintively remarked 

 were better than nothing, and took them sadly away with 

 him. 



Mr. Burnaby was much sought after as a preacher. In 

 Leicestershire alone he preached in thirteen different churches. 

 Perhaps it would almost be easier to count the churches he has 

 not preached in than those he has. He is a Broad Churchman 

 after Doctor Arnold of Rugby's way of thinking, and he 



