FONDNESS FOR ANIMALS. 133 



stanced his care and kind treatment of the gallant hunter 

 who carried him close to the hounds. He never would 

 permit his coachman to use the whip with his carriage- 

 horses, and if the injunction happened to be forgotten, he 

 would start up in his carriage and severely reprimand 

 him. His lady's pet dogs were always sources of great 

 interest ; Flash, Dandy, and Fop, shared his regard and 

 were privileged favourites. Poor Dandy came to an un- 

 timely end, being badly bitten by one of the fox-hounds 

 whom he had in his wantonness attacked, and his sad 

 fate was severely felt and lamented. Mrs. Smith was 

 no less fond of animals than her husband, and there was 

 always a favourite hunter whom she coaxed and fed. Once 

 hearing that the son of a friend had a tame magpie at 

 school, which he resisted all solicitations to sell, although 

 his pocket-money was entirely exhausted, she immediately 

 sent him a sovereign. Birds were objects of especial in- 

 terest to the squire ; he loved to remark their habits, and 

 his country amusements afforded him ample opportunities 

 of observing their instincts. He had at different times 

 several pet robins, whom he constantly fed in the con- 

 servatory, and his favourite rooks, who used to come close 

 to the library windows during the severe weather, were 

 never sent empty away. These incidents may seem too 

 insignificant to mention, but men are more thoroughly 

 kpown by trifles than by serious actions ; in the former the 

 disposition is far more faithfully reflected than in the latter. 

 At one end of the conservatory he had a beautiful cockatoo, 

 which was sure of a kind word from him at every turn of 

 his horse when he took his daily rides there, during the last 

 winter of his life. He took no small delight in watching 



true fox-hunter. An idea has prevailed that the pursuits and associa- 

 tions of the chase were not commonly united with proper feelings for 

 animals, temperate habits, and gentlenrianly accomplishments. Mr. 

 Campbell's memoir of Mr. Musters shows that such traits are the bett 

 indications of the genuine and successful sportsman." 



