Mr. Matthew Warren, 341 



two sons were constant members of a Pytcliley field. 

 When death — striking from the suddenness of the blow — 

 removed the last of the well-known trio, it was generally 

 acknowledged that in the loss of Charles Hewett a gap 

 had been made in the farmer-clientele of the " P.H.'^ 

 which was not likely ever to be filled up. 



MR. MATTHEW WARREN. 



As every village boasts its ^' oldest inhabitant/' so 

 every Hunt has its " oldest follower," and so far as the 

 " P.H." is concerned, that not-altogether-enviable dis- 

 tinction can be claimed in the person of Mr. Matthew 

 Warren of Boughton Mills, near Northampton. 



Any one told off to find a finer specimen of the *^ genus 

 homo '' at the age of ninety than this stalwart farmer 

 and miller — an honoured tenant of Mr. Howard Vyse — 

 might complain that he had had a task assigned to him 

 that it was impossible to perform. 



In spite of all the long laborious days that go to make 

 up the sum of fourscore years and ten of a busy life^ 

 early hours and regular habits seem so to have squared 

 matters with ^^ Time, the Avenger/' that the upright 

 form of the old Sportsman appears to have lost nothing 

 of its six-feet-two ; and the stoop that is so often seen in 

 the bearer of sixty winters may be looked for in vain in 

 one who numbers half as many years again. ^' In every 

 life some rain must fall ; " and doubtless this fine old 

 man has had his share of trouble and of sorrow, but of 

 gout and rheumatism he has known nothing, not even 

 for a day; and though he is constantly seen on and 



