Lord Henley. 311 



one who was far from being the least useful of its Mem- 

 bers. Occupying at the present time a seat in the House 

 of Lords, as Baron Northington, he is again devoting his 

 time and abilities to the service of his country ; and it is 

 to be hoped that his absence from the hunting- field, from 

 a failure of health during the season of 1885-6, may be 

 followed by the speedy resumption of a sport the charms 

 of which he so thoroughly appreciates. Happily for the 

 future prospects of the *^P,H./' he, who in the course of 

 nature should become Lord of Watford Gorse and the 

 region round about, is a true son of his father, and 

 considers that among the ^' gifts the gods provide us '^ 

 not the least is the pleasure attendant upon the pursuit of 

 the fox. Without the presence of the Hon. Frederick, 

 alias " Freddy '' Henley, on his customary days at a 

 " P.H." Meet, it is felt by many there that something is 

 lacking in the field. The '^ why and the wherefore '^ of 

 his absence is made a subject of inquiry by many a 

 friend, conscious, by the loss of his presence, that he is 

 minus one item in the day's enjoyment. 



Well-mounted, and bound to be pretty handy when 

 genuine business is going on, should the great calamity 

 of finding himself in the second or even the third flight 

 overtake him, he will not yield to the temptation of 

 immediate suicide. Even a heavier misfortune, if such 

 is to be found among hunting-men, will not try the 

 equanimity of an unusually even and charming tempera- 

 ment. If chafi'ed upon the "prominent position '^ he 

 occupied in a rattling twenty minutes, he will own the 

 soft impeachment, and laughingly allow " it was not 

 jumping that post and rail at starting that did it.'' 



Many may envy, but few can boast a popularity equal 



