Benefits of a “ Fancy . . 
5 
it, considering that “ fanciers” are apt to be regarded rather as nuisances in a mild way by mothers 
in general. “Ah,” said the young man, “you don’t understand. I never cared to drink ; but just 
for society and to pass the time I used generally to go down of an evening to the village 
tavern. Since I had these fowls I am always home to see after them, and she is glad enough 
to have me, and you, and fowls and all.” Very similar to this is the following, told by the 
“Wiltshire Rector” whose own testimony we have already quoted. On a visit to Scotland, “ my 
Scotch host,” he says, “ told me that once, wanting a particular variety of pigeon, he heard where 
he could procure one. He found a very humble home, but a tidy, middle-aged, motherly woman. 
The birds were kept in a little pantry, opening into the living-room. He was bidden to wait a few 
minutes, as the owners, the woman’s two sons, would soon be home from the foundry. A 
neighbour in passing noticed the woman sweeping up some sand which had blown into the room 
from the pigeon place, and said, ‘ I wonder, mistress, ye bother with they doos ’ (doves). ‘ Ay,’ 
replied she, ‘ no bother to me, for they bring the laddies sune hame at night.’ No sooner said than 
the ‘laddies’ came in, two stalwart, grimy sons of the forge, who preferred their birds to the public- 
house or the idle corner. Yes, to enjoy them, ‘ the laddies came sune hame at night.’ ” 
We could add melancholy instances of what has followed when the strong natural craving for 
some such occupation and relaxation for the mind as we are speaking of has been unwisely 
thwarted ; but one shall suffice, which came to our knowledge during a recent visit to Birmingham. 
A young man, very fond of pigeons, had married, and still endeavoured to continue his harmless 
“ fancy.” His wife, however, set herself determinedly against them ; scolding at him incessantly 
for the time he “wasted ” on them, and almost openly insulting every pigeon friend who came to 
see him, till at last not one such cared to call at the house. At last she carried her point, and in 
despair the pigeons were given up. But the lad missed too much the old interest and occupation : 
he took to drink, and far worse ; and at the time we heard of it, the unhappy wife would have gone 
down on her knees could she only, by those pigeons she had so hated and opposed, have recalled 
her husband’s lost love, society, and character. 
In mentioning such a case as this, we would not be misunderstood, as if the one fault excused 
the other ; neither would we wish to convey that all men need to keep pigeons, or to grow fruit, or 
to cultivate flowers. These things are not the highest even of recreations ; and there are still 
nobler minds, who find in change of work all the rest they crave. Such minds will care for 
themselves while caring for others. But men differ ; and there are multitudes who do need, and 
who would be in every sense better — better in body, mind, and spirit — for some such “ gentle ” 
pastime as that with which we are now concerned. Some have no taste for books ; and many 
who have would be infinitely better for almost anything innocent which took them rather more 
away from those loved companions than otherwise. Only a few weeks before these words are 
written, we were interested to encounter in a well-known pigeon haunt an esteemed “minister” 
among the Quaker body, come to seek information as to obtaining certain of the pretty German 
Toys. Some might have been surprised to see a “ministering Friend ” on such an errand, but we 
were not ; any one, in fact, who observed the pale intellectual face, and who knew as we did that 
the owner of it had not long since been ordered entire rest for a while from all business cares, and 
as far as possible from all mental effort, would have felt the entire fitness of the quest, and the 
truth of what we are trying to convey. It is curious, but true, that thorough fanciers generally live 
to be old men ; strange it is not, to all who know what human nature is. 
And here we would conclude this chapter, but that some would ask us, How about those 
disreputable characters whose sole ambition is to “ fly ” pigeons ; whom you see lounging about 
with pipe in mouth, or strolling off to the customary mile-stone to “ toss ” their favourites, or for 
