Never has identity better boon concealed than in the case of the now celebrated Sporting Notions which appear from time to time above the signature of "Daybreak." The mystery surrounding their authorship is as impenetrable as that which so long and so successfully baffled all attempts of the inquisitive to bring to light the several Writers of the now historic letters of Runnymede, Peter Plymley, and of the greatest of them all, Junius.
They were literary productions of the highest class, but they had the great demerits of being too sharp, too incisive, tow acetated. Each letter fulfilled the object of its writer: exch one left a sting. But in the ease of the Daybreak" letters the most fastidious would find it difficult to raise even the slightest possible objec tion. They will. ever be remembered, if for no greater virtue, for their geniality, their kindliness of tone, the dulcet nature of theireriticism, They won popularity on their fires appontunoo, " popeavity. wich duvervedly appears to grow nnd stiongthon time, Truly may it be said of them, tires acgnirit undo. he writer, in fact, like Lord Byron, awoke one moming to find himself famous.
But just as in times past there were ever some only too ready to be credited with finger in the literary pie, so even at the present day, and in the present connection, there are not wanting those who freely claim association with the production of ""Daybreak's" sporting notes. Lo the simple question—Who is' Daybreak."!—half-a-dozen men will give as murly different swers; each assuming a knowledge if he has it not.
Tt was, then, with the view of settling this great yestio eexule that your inter: viewer took upon his shoulders the Her-clean task of attempting to beard the lion int his den, and of solving once and for all this much controverted point, this veritable Asian mystery.
But how to get at the Simon Pare was the great difficulty "Daybreak" had to be unearthed somehow, and operations had to be conducted with mole-like skill and mole-like perseverance. Tt soon became an easy matter to distinguish between useful and useless information; but there as a very large excess of the latter article, as is usually the ease, However, daylight broke upon me, and the clue once got it was not likely to be lost by such an enthusiast as myself, to the accomplishment of whose task so much kvrlus was supposed to attach. Thus it came about that one fine aft i region of UpperHon surrounded the compound, and completely delied all the efforts of the curious. Pressure on the button at, the doorpost caused
into the mystic precincts was quickly afford-vision of a gomgclike sound, and entry ed me by the smirking, obsequious janitor.
"Mx. Daybreak at home!" 1 asked and for imswer all I got was that I should have to get up early if 1 wished to see daybreak."
Lil-titting time for so poor a joke, I thought, as I passed the neatly trim: med hedges on either side of the carriage way which led to the modest nunsion. Auon I was met by a brace of superb wloured collies, blue black, red tan, th just enough perfect whiteness to make dazzling their shirts and collars. The lovely animals soon made my acquaintance, and their cold noses, shining coats, and the kindly welcome they" offered mie were indisputable evidence of the affectionate care bestowed upon them by their sporting owner. On enquiry, the boy" told me that his master was in the stables—the most natural phic in which to tind him—and there I un mediately repaired, passing through a courtyard occupied by many varieties of fowls, notably some fine specimens of silver pencilled Hamburghs,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.