6 WAYFARING NOTIONS 



at least one biggish farmhouse good enough for 

 the half-squire, half-farmer yeomanry who used 

 to dwell in them, and a number of ancient, with 

 a very few modern, cottages, the former much 

 the prettier to look at, and the new-comers better 

 to live in. Once a year some small proportion of 

 visitors to Goodwood make more or less close 

 acquaintance with certain of these hamlets and 

 their approaches, and are all the better therefor, 

 as should be anyone for experiencing only one 

 fine day at Goodwood, not counting the racing 

 in at all. Why, it is worth the money to have 

 the sun bring out the delicious thymy smell of 

 the down turf, vvhich may call up memories to 

 make one sentimental or extremely material in 

 thought, according as the cue given through the 

 olfactory sense leads to reminiscences of past 

 days and departed friends, or to the recalling of 

 such gross pleasure as may be afforded in the 

 consumption of Southdown mutton, whose excel- 

 lence is in part ascribed to the aromatic seasoning 

 in its " native " herbage. 



Occasionally, when I do find time to think, I 

 grieve that familiarity, through long acquaint- 

 ance with much that is enjoyable, has bred — no, 

 not contempt, that is impossible, but a sort of 

 indifference. Thank goodness I can still derive 

 excellent pleasure from doing duty at a venue 

 such as the Duke of Richmond's ''best farm." 

 But I always feel a bit sorry for myself in that 

 the freshness has died out, and I rather expect 

 all to be in its very best form before I can be 

 satisfied, instead of being made to feel small in 

 admiration at the glories of Goodwood Park and 

 the parts thereabouts. Imagine the pleasure a 

 novice who came out of, say, the Black Country 



