HAND 



lane, as calmly as if the animal had been a lady 

 whom he was taking out for a walk. He pulled 

 it back into a trot, sitting very close and quiet, 

 with his hand raised two or three inches above 

 the withers, and I can still recall, as if I had seen 

 it yesterday, the curve of neck and quarters, as, 

 gently mouthing the bit, that well-broken hunter 

 poised lightly for its spring, and landing in the 

 same collected form, picked its way daintily, step 

 by step, down the declivity, like a cat. There 

 was a large field out, but though Leicestershire 

 then, as now, had no lack of bold and jealous 

 riders, who could use heads, hands, and beyond 

 all, their heels, nobody followed him, and I think 

 the attempt was better left alone. 



Another clergyman of our own day, whose 

 name I forbear mentioning, because I think he 

 would dislike it for professional reasons, has the 

 finest bridle-hand of anyone I know. " You good 

 man," I once heard a foreigner observe to this 

 gentleman, in allusion to his bold style of riding ; 

 "it no matter if you break your neck!" And 

 although I cannot look on the loss of such 

 valuable lives from the same point of view as this 

 Continental moralist, I may be permitted to 

 regret the present scarcity of clergymen in the 

 hunting-field. It redounds greatly to their credit, 

 for we know how many of them deny themselves 

 a harmless pleasure rather than offend the 



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