THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, Octobek 12, 1858. 
29 
three, with extended hands, and honied accents, courted Tippoo, 
who stood about ten yards from us, with ears thrown back, tail 
between his legs, and showing magnificent whito teeth. What 
was to be done, if he would not come to us ?—the next best thing 
was to drive him away. Still, I had a lingering desire to try him 
again. Was he not my dog ? And I own to a little feeling of 
irritation, when my brother-in-law told his man to throw a stone 
at him. However, I said nothing. Many were thrown at him, 
and, at last, one hit him : he uttered a short cry of pain, and re¬ 
moved just out of reach of our missiles. Clever dog, and very 
fond of shooting, thought I. 
We left the scene of my vexation, and, following a lane, took to 
another part of the manor. I looked* round, from time to time, 
and Tippoo was not visible. Lost, thought I; and, had I been 
alone, I think I could have remedied his faults. We tried a 
small piece of clover. I walked into a covey; they rose in front 
of me, all of a heap ; I shot both barrels, and killed nothing. 
My partner killed two. Another covey rose. Again I missed, 
and another, with the same result. I was getting on bad terms 
with myself. 
Drat the dog! he was the cause of it all. “ Never mind,” said 
my brother-in-law, “ they are all now in the large Swede field, 
and you may shoot till your gun is red hot.” A single bird rose ; 
I killed him,—a capital shot. My spirits rose, and I felt sure I 
could now shoot. I had recovered myself. I was rejoiced to 
hear my partner say, as we entered the Swedes, that he would 
warrant there were a dozen coveys of birds in it. I made up my 
mind to be very cool, to aim well in front of my birds, and, 
above all, to select one when a covey rose. I soon had the trial. 
I killed, a double shot. “ Capital,” said my brother-in-law. 
“ Mark,” shouted his man, “ Mark, Mark, Mark, what is the 
matter ? What makes the birds so wild ? There they go, covey 
after covey. What on earth is it ? ” For a moment I was 
astonished, then a feeling grew upon me, that in some spot where 
the Swedes 'were not so high, I should see my faithful dog. Too 
true, not far from us was a space where the plant had failed, and 
he passed it like lightning, still in pursuit. 
Regular shooting was out of the question, unless we began by 
shooting my dog. We, therefore, made out the day as we could. 
1 missed every other shot I had, and towards evening reached 
home, vexed and tired. 
It is a very natural feeling in a young wife, to desire that her 
husband should appear in the most favourable light to her family, 
especially on her first visit after marriage, to that which was her 
home,—that he should, by his demeanour, cause every member of 
it to approve the choice she made, when she took him for better 
and for worse. Now, my temper had been sorely tried all day, 
but I had continually gulped it down when it was rising. I was, 
also, disappointed and tired. I am afraid wives do not always 
get fair play. They have, in the conjugal tete-a-tete, to bear the 
brunt of many an annoyance they have had no share in causing; 
and the absence of a button on a shirt will cause the explosion 
of the pent up ill-humour of a bad day’s sport, a trying day in 
the city, or a tiresome day’s business. As 1 expected, mine had 
everything ready for me,—dry clothes were at the fire, my slippers 
were in their place, and a cheerful, smiling face welcomed me. 
But the first question was an unfortunate one,—“ Well, how have 
you shot ? How many birds have you killed ? Where is 
Tippoo ? ” My brother-in-law burst into laughter, and, with a 
gesture of impatience, I passed my wife, and went to my room. 
Admiring the motto of the great Napoleon, “ Qu’on doit 
toujours laver son linge sale en famille ,” 1 shall not relate what 
passed between us. It would not be to my credit, and I confess I 
was very ill tempered. 
However, we came down to dinner, and I recovered my 
serenity; but I was unaccustomed to hard walking, I was very 
tired, and soon after I had finished eating I fell asleep. I was 
cross when my wife attempted to wake me,—an unlucky joke of 
my brother-in-law about my dog finished me,—and the first day’s 
shooting, to which I had looked forward so long, ended in my 
going to bed by myself very early, in a very bad temper, having 
succeeded in causing all the family to pity then* relative who was 
married to me. 
POULTRY SHOW AT TOWCESTEE, 
Most people know the difference between the stately public 
dinner,—its forms, ceremonies, singers, and list of toasts ; or even 
the conventional large dinner in a private family, where half the 
company is strange to the other half, and the social meeting of a 
few old friends, to discuss the best haunch of venison of the 
season, or a saddle of one of the five-year-old Downs, that have 
made their mouths water, when they saw them half hidden in 
grass as they rode to the hall to make a morning call. There is 
just the same difference between the large poultry show and the 
peripatetic exhibition that follows the agricultural meeting, 
wherever it goes. The magnitude of the first, in both instances, 
has to be forgotten, and then all is familiar; but in the other no 
introduction is necessary,—everybody is at home. We like to 
attend these meetings. Held in the open air, for purely agricul¬ 
tural purposes, the combination of animals, poultry, roots, and 
implements, seems a happy one, fitted to carry out the object for 
which it is intended. It is also a wise plan to visit each part 
of the county in its turn; we speak only of poultry, but we 
know that makes converts and gains admirers at every fresh 
locality. It is strange that the class which can keep it most 
easily, and at the smallest cost, should be the last to take it up 
seriously. If the list of exhibitors were classified, it would be 
seen the largest number belongs to professional men, and those 
engaged in trade. Many of our most successful exhibitors at 
large Shows are men who are resident in towns, and who labour 
under every disadvantage. Every improvement is, however, a 
work of time, and this is making its way. If proof were wanted, 
we would adduce this Show, held at Towcestcr. It was more 
numerous than any of its predecessors,—the birds were of better 
quality, and almost all belonged to agriculturists. We hope we 
are not going beyond our duty, or getting out of our depth, when 
we say one word of the Show generally. It was in every respect 
a good one. Cattle, horses, sheep, pigs, and implements, all 
contributed their share, and a good one. Add to this a Horti¬ 
cultural Show, where connoisseurs said the Dahlias were match¬ 
less ; and even those who care not for such things stood amazed 
before “wee” little fruit trees,—Apples, Pears, and Peaches, grow¬ 
ing in pots, and groaning under the weight of their fruit,—not little 
blights, like the Oranges and Lemons we sometimes see, but 
good, ripe, luscious fruit, that seem to say, “ I am in perfection, 
come and eat meand the Heaths and Ferns, and the most 
beautiful miniature greenhouses in actual work, and full of plants 
in flower. We must notice one which had a tank in the centre, 
and vigorous plants living in it. The largest of these little green¬ 
houses was only about four feet in length by thirty inches high. 
Add to this the band of the 2 nd Life Guards, and we shall be 
believed when we say, the Agricultural and Horticultural Meeting 
l at Towcester will be long remembered by the good people of the 
town. To our mind, however, these were accessories; the 
] poultry was our business. 
We begin with Doricings, for which there were three classes,— 
adults, chickens, and cock and pullet. We have before stated 
our opinion, and now repeat it, that the soil of this county must 
' be favourable to the breed, for we never see better chickens any¬ 
where : they are a large kind, and, above all, healthy. Those 
shown here would have been a credit to any exhibition. Need 
we say the Rev. F. Tliursby was first in the two first classes. 
This gentleman’s name has long been associated with excellence 
in this breed; but he has distributed it far and wide, and he has 
difficulty at times in beating liis own stock. Thus he was beaten 
by Mr. Wood, in the third class. Mr. Shaw was second with a 
capital pen of adults ; and Mr. Brown took second for chickens, 
with some birds hatched from eggs bought of Capt. Hornby. 
Mr. Wood, who took first for birds ofl858, showed an unusually 
good pen, having one of the best cocks we have seen this year. 
The Spanish were very good. Mr. Shaw took first for adults ; 
but he was obliged to be content with second for chickens, being 
beaten by Mr. Tliursby. 
We cannot speak in the same terms of praise of the Cochins ,— 
they were not well matched. Cinnamon hens were put with Buff 
cocks, and [vice versa. Crooked combs were also plentiful among 
them. 
There were good Game fowls shown; but, with the exception 
of Mr. Payne’s first and Mr. Beasley’s second prize birds, these 
were all vilianously dubbed ; a large ridge of comb standing, and 
I destroying the intelligent and snake-like head, so much admired. 
Mr. Marriott w'as the Archer of the day, and carried all the 
I Pencilled Hamburgh prizes: He did the same in the Spangled. 
If we were asked to name the best of his four prize pens, we 
j would choose his Silver-pencilled chickens. 
Mr. Thursby took first, in the Various Class, with Sebright 
Bantams ; and Mr. Franklin second, with excellent Andalusians, 
The next class and its successor were deserving of high com¬ 
mendation,—we allude to the Ducks. Aylesburys, as is the 
