WM the H. H. 23 



rattling pace, leaving black care behind for tbe while ; 

 and as he takes his fences with judgment and discre- 

 tion,, keeping a good eye to the hounds, and saving 

 his horse in the deep ground, forgets that he is heavily- 

 handicapped with age and weight, and congratulates 

 himself as he pounds along that " there is life in the 

 old dog yet/^ 



A large field attended the meet, numbering in all 

 some 120 or 130 horsemen, among whom were Mr. 

 Pain, on an old-fashioned nag ; Mr. Edmund Tatter- 

 sall — the genial representative of a real " sporting '^ 

 family — on a dark chestnut, up to great weight and a 

 fine fencer ; Colonel Randolph on a bay as fresh as 

 a kitten ; Mr. Schlater, and several ladies who seemed 

 to be thoroughly at home at their work, and a number 

 of well-mounted men fit to go across any country. 

 The attendance of ladies is now common to nearly 

 every pack in the kingdom, and far be it from me to 

 do or say anything that could by any means interfere, 

 even in the slightest way, with their enjoyment of a 

 day's sport with the hounds; nor would I have it 

 supposed for an instant that I could under any con- 

 ceivable circumstances consider a lady to be de iro-g ; 

 but yet I feel somewhat inclined on such occasions 

 to say, " Oh, woman, in our hours of ease, delightful, 

 charming — when you please — don^t take to hunting 

 unless you have good figures, light hands^ brave 

 hearts, strong nerves, short habits, and perfect horses. 

 Without these essentials, do not go a-hunting, lest 

 you come to grief — a state of things too distressing 

 to contemplate, even for a moment." 



Talking of coming to grief reminds me of the 

 sorrow that was expressed in the field at the serious 



