"Perhaps nowhere is it still kept up so much as in London. The people there pour out by thousands and tens of thousands into the country. Greenwich is the grand resort as coolly set off on his way Homewards arid on Easter Monday there descend the hich, as we returned soon after-Thames to that place often upwards of ards, we found him pursuing in as calm, 100,000 persons.' The steamers are crowded sedate, and philosophical a tone of mind as to excess, often to danger of sinking. any of the dogmatic school could well evince.
e huge metropolis men, women, and Out of all the alleys and close courts of 5 children pour to catch a breath of fresh air, for once, on the heights of Greenwich It Liked Being Hunted Park; to partake in all the fun of a country "The stag had a large label attached to fair, and to see the youngsters take their his neck—I suppose to warn anyone against roll down the hill. killing it; and the galloping of the horsemen giving spirit to the dogs, away went "There is much going on that must die the stag gaily before them, flapping its great out as the taste and moral feeling of white label, just as several old ladies on the the masses progress. Vulgarity and low hill were flapping the crumbs and creases debauch will, with this advance. disappear. out of their white pocket-handkerchiefs, in which they had brought their luncheons, The wisdom will be to drop the folly and retain the fun.
"The next moment it plunged into the wood below and was lost. Disconsolate The Epping Hunt horsemen followed to the outskirts of the "In the meantime, such are the attrac-wood; boys rushed in amongst the trees tions of Greenwich, and the facilities of the with shouts and howls, but in vain; the steamers, that that attraction of former days stag was as clean gone—perhaps to sleep—the Epping Hunt—has sunk to the most in some snug thicket—as if it had been an perfect burlesque. enchanted one, and vanished into thin air.
"I went to visit it a year or two ago. But "But certainly never less enchanted seem-where were the lord mayor and the aldered stags or dogs, or people. The cunning men who used to go there in all their creature never reappeared, and, therefore, glory? Where were the surrounding thou-I speedily disappeared; as, indeed, the sands Cockney Hunt will in a few more seasons.
"On the top of the hill near the Bald-faced Stag, stood a few carriages with ladies Mid-Victorian Diversions in them; a few gentlemen on horseback a few vendors of oranges and gingerbeer, "In fact, the people now fly at higher game than the hunting of a creature look-and a few professors of the game ing, with its label, more like a bottle of or will-pegs, ready to afford young men the opportunity of winning a snuff-box by the hartshorn than a hart of Greece.
"They have steamers and railroads and flinging of a stick. There might be a couple of hundreds of people assembled. such places as the gardens and galleries of Hampton Court, the cartoons of Raphael, An Obliging Stag the paintings of Titian and Correggio, and the sweet slopes and wooded hills of Green-"On came the huntsman with their stag wich and Richmond parks have charms for in a covered cart; the chief huntsman blew them that draw them from the more dismally on a tin horn; the cart stopped, boisterous amusements of their ancestors, the door was opened, but aut did not come or the stupefying of the beer-shop. the stag. It appeared a tame one hired for the occasion and quite contented to remain "On such days such places as St. Paul's where it was. and Westminster Abbey should stand wide open; the Colosseum and the Polytechnic "SIX hounds followed the cart—the whole be accessible at the smallest possible price. splendid pack! They waited with the same Zoological gardens, and all kinds of rational nonchalance till the huntsman roused the and elevating pleasures, should be thrown stag, dnd compelled it to leap out of the open to the growing taste in the million. cart. Once out, however, it did not seem at all alarmed by the sight of men and dogs.
"And yet, amongst the numerous customs The dogs were equally quiescent. and game of past times, what should banish the brisk foot-race, and the game of foot-"Neither dogs nor stag seemed desirous ball on the village-green? What should of the trouble of a run; but as a hunt there banish the gammon of bacon and the tansy-must be, the stag was actually driven off pudding from the family board by the huntsman and hooted off by the "In the holidays of the future, taste will crowd. banish vulgarity, but no hilarity; youth and "Away it went; certainly in a very obligage, mind and body, will all find themselves ing manner, for it evidently preferred the included in the circle of the general day.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.