The Project Gutenberg EBook of Hunting Sketches, by Anthony Trollope

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Title: Hunting Sketches

Author: Anthony Trollope

Posting Date: July 26, 2008 [EBook #814]
Release Date: February, 1997

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HUNTING SKETCHES ***

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HUNTING SKETCHES

by Anthony Trollope

Contents:

The Man who Hunts and Doesn't Like it
The Man who Hunts and Does Like it
The Lady who Rides to Hounds
The Hunting Farmer
The Man who Hunts and Never Jumps
The Hunting Parson
The Master of Hounds
How to Ride to Hounds

THE MAN WHO HUNTS AND DOESN'T LIKE IT.

It seems to be odd, at first sight, that there should be any such men
as these; but their name and number is legion. If we were to deduct
from the hunting-crowd farmers, and others who hunt because hunting is
brought to their door, of the remainder we should find that the "men
who don't like it" have the preponderance. It is pretty much the same,
I think, with all amusements. How many men go to balls, to races, to the
theatre, how many women to concerts and races, simply because it is the
thing to do? They have perhaps, a vague idea that they may ultimately
find some joy in the pastime; but, though they do the thing constantly,
they never like it. Of all such men, the hunting men are perhaps the
most to be pitied.

They are easily recognized by any one who cares to scrutinize the men
around him in the hunting field. It is not to be supposed that all
those who, in common parlance, do not ride, are to be included among
the number of hunting men who don't like it. Many a man who sticks
constantly to the roads and lines of gates, who, from principle, never
looks at a fence, is much attached to hunting. Some of those who have
borne great names as Nimrods in our hunting annals would as life have
led a forlorn-hope as put a horse at a flight of hurdles. But they,
too, are known; and though the nature of their delight is a mystery to
straight-going men, it is manifest enough, that they do like it. Their
theory of hunting is at any rate plain. They have an