380 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, September 14, 185S. 
that we might retain our desk. We look back now, when 
some of our daydreams have been realised, and others have 
brought only sorrow and disappointment, on the hours we 
have "spent there with pleasure. Ours were indeed castles in 
the air. When we looked up, we saw the same blue sky we 
had so often gazed at for hours at home. Its associations 
were with freedom, air, and exercise. We were made to bear 
the idea of London, almost to look forward to it, by glowing 
descriptions of its grandeur and pleasures. But, so far as we 
were concerned in those days, we were always disposed to 
paraphrase Robinson Crusoe, when he found a drawer of 
pieces of eight,—" Worthless stuff; I would give you all for 
a bag of tobacco —so we would have given all the attrac¬ 
tions of London for a few hours run in the fields. 
Well, then, we used to fix our eyes on the blue sky, and 
" thus to ourselves did say”—Three years more to stay here, 
then advance a step, get on by degrees, at last have a claim to 
a month’s holiday, have it in September, take out a certificate, 
borrow or hire a dog. Oh ! what enjoyment. Then become 
a master, rent a manor, have shooting of our own,—holiday 
when we like. Then, perhaps, become rich, buy a house, 
and some land. What Pheasants we will have! What 
shooting!” 
Those who have patience to read this must bear in mind that 
it is only a plain narrative. We will, therefore, say, that many 
of our calculations were rendered more remote by the fact, 
that, as soon as we had reached a tolerably good position, we 
married. We believe the usual theory is, that Londoners seek 
wives in the country, and countrymen in London. We did 
not; we went into our own county, and took our partner for 
better and worse. We married in March, and stipulated for 
our honeymoon in September. Our father-in-law could give 
lots of good shooting ; but we must find a dog. We lived still 
in the City Road, but every evening we strolled as far from 
London as possible. Our wife missed the constant society of 
the farmhouse, and she felt the hours of the day to be heavy. 
Both of us had the desire to get into the country for a time. 
I was shooting mad. I use the first person singular now, as 
at times I must speak of two persons. 
I had now the certainty of a holiday, and the prospect 
of good shooting. I wanted gun, dog, and equipments. I 
had become enough of a Londoner to look into the ad¬ 
vertising columns of the Times for what I wanted. I soon 
bought a gun : of course it was advertised to be sold under 
peculiar circumstances, and the seller would have given me 
a long history of his exjfioits with it, and the misfortunes 
that led him to sell it, had I been disposed to listen. I 
believe I gave more than it was worth, and it was a bad one. 
The dog was a greater difficulty. I think I asked every one, 
likely and unlikely, whether they had a pointer, or setter, to 
lend. Many would lend me one till the second week in 
August, but all laughed when I said that I only wanted it for 
tire month of September. My partner said he should be glad 
when my shooting was over. My wife said I talked of it in 
my sleep. I believe I did. The dear good woman laughed at 
my enthusiasm, but entered into my pleasure, and at last 
pointed out an advertisement:—"A gentleman, about to 
emigrate to Australia, where such a dog would be useless, 
wishes to dispose of a valuable pointer. It will be sold 
cheap to any one who will pledge himself to treat it well. No 
j dealer need apply, and none but principals will be treated 
with, as a good master is more sought than a large price.” 
The very thing. There was a small yard at the back of the 
house, and the next day saw us at the place where the dog 
was for sale. The gentleman was from home, and would 
be for some time, as he was visiting his friends pi'ior to his 
departure, but hi3 servant was authorised to act for him. 
He assured me there never was such a dog, and his owner 
would sooner kill him than let a stranger have him, or any 
one who would not take care of him. He was, indeed, hand¬ 
some. My -wife gently suggested something about a trial ; 
but, as the man said his master would give a receipt and war¬ 
ranty, I became the purchaser. X ordered him to be brought 
home the next day. Poor Mrs. Martin was in consternation 
when I said I had a dog coming. She should be afraid of 
her life of being bitten. Then she had nowhere to put a dog; 
j anc l s h° bad in her lifetime refused lots of lodgers because 
they had dogs. I, however, pacified her by saying I would 
buy a kennel, and that it would always be tied up. My wife 
suggested it should be sent at once to her father’s, but I pre¬ 
ferred having my pointer with me. 
The following morning I bought a second-hand kennel, and 
anew chain and collar. The dog was brought in the even¬ 
ing. I made the man tie him to his kennel, as I was yet a 
stranger to him. He had not left many minutes when the 
dog begun howling. I went down provided with food, think¬ 
ing he was hungry. It pacified him, and my wife and self 
went for our evening’s walk. Need I say I monopolised the 
conversation, and that all ran on shooting. During this 
walk I bought a whistle, a whip, and a cap-holder. I should 
have bought some powder, but my wife said she should be 
afraid to sleep in the house with it. Those who are not as 
great enthusiasts as I was and am for shooting, cannot imagine 
my pleasure as I gradually provided myself with all that tv as 
necessary. I had dog and gun, and, that which is still more 
difficult to procure, 1 had good shooting. There w as now to 
my mind only a question of time between me and the realisa¬ 
tion of all my anticipation. 
I trod lightly, my mind was buoyant, my early dreams 
were being realised one by one, and I approached my home as 
happy as man need be. We were yet some distance from it, 
when I thought I heard a sound that was already familiar to 
me. It was such a howl, varied every now and then by a 
sharp bark. I took no notice, till my wife called may attention 
to it. I assumed a carelessness I did not feel, as I said, " Ah, 
it is nothing, it is only for a time, I will soon cure him,— 
lucky I bought this whip ; ” and I took it from my pocket. As 
we approached the door, the noise, of course, became louder. 
Several of the neighbours were at the windows, and, to my 
eyes, they seemed to be waiting for me. Mrs. Martin opened 
the door,—" Oh! Sir, that dog, Sir! ” " Well,” said I. “ Don’t 
you hear him, Sir?” "Well,” I said again, " he is just now 
making a little noise.” " Little, Sir! ” said she, " all the two 
hours you have been out, he has not left off one minute, and 
nothing will pacify him.” " I will soon do that,” said I, 
and I went to speak soothingly to him. But it was of no use. 
I produced my whip, and he tlew r at me to the length of his 
chain. Mrs. Martin had tried food, and he was surrounded 
with bones and pieces of bread. This was eight o’clock. At 
ten, Mrs. Martin had said, " she was very sorry but the dog 
must be removed.” My next door neighbour, an excellent 
man and a good friend of mine, had said, " he would feel 
particularly obliged if I w r ould pacify my dog, and prevent his 
howling, as one of his children was very ill.” Another, a man 
with whom I was not very friendly, " would thank me to 
put an end to the nuisance ; ” and a third, " hoped I did not 
mean to keep that howling dog all night.” I thought, perhaps 
if he were in-doors he would be quiet, and accordingly asked 
Mrs. Martin to allow me to put him in a back kitchen. She 
consented for one night only, and with a proviso that I should 
take him away in the morning before she was about. 
{To be continued .) 
MANCHESTER AND LIVERPOOL POULTRY 
EXHIBITION. 
This Exhibition of Poultry w r as held September 8th, in 
conjunction with an Agricultural Society, which has been 
established for a great number of years ; and, on the authority 
of the gentlemen who officiated as Judges,—Edward Hewitt, 
Esq., of Spark Brook, Birmingham ; and Wm. Lloyd, Esq., 
of Brook House, Weaverham, near Nortliwich, — we are 
enabled to say, this was, by very far, the best show of poultry 
that has as yet been exhibited at any of their Meetings; 
indeed, so far as chickens were concerned, it might fairly rank 
among the very highest of the present year. Most of our 
principal exhibitors competed; and the premiums were, in 
many instances, attained only after the closest competition. 
The Spanish fowls were excellent, and the Dorkings un¬ 
usually so ; Damburghs, of all varieties, abounded, and the j 
Pencilled birds were superior to any exhibited this season. 
The attention paid by amateurs, in this neighbourhood, to 
the breeding of these truly beautiful birds being greater, 
perhaps, than in any other locality,—even in the extra class, 
specimens, that left but little to desire, could only reach a 
high commendation. 
The falling off in the classes for Polands , of every variety, 
