taste for sentimental poetry, with which she generally filled the poet’s corner. This assistance enabled Grimes to look after his auctioneering, bleaching, and paper-hanging concerns; and it so happened, that when the foregoing run arrived at the office he, having seen the next paper ready for press, had gone to Mr Vospers, some ten miles off, to paper his drawing-room, consequently the duties of deciding upon its publication devolved on the Bloomer. Now she was a most refined, puritanical young woman, full of sentiment and elegance, with a strong objection to what she considered the inhumanities of the chase. At first she was for rejecting the article altogether, and had it been a run with the Tinglebury harriers, or even, we believe, with Lord Scamperdale’s hounds, she would have consigned it to the ‘Balaam box,’ but seeing it was with Mr Puffington’s hounds, whose house they had papered, and who advertised with them, she condescended to read it; and though her delicacy was shocked at encountering the word ‘stunning’ at the outset, and also at the term ‘ravishing scent’ further on, she nevertheless sent the manuscript to the compositors, after making such alterations and corrections as she thought would fit it for eyes polite. The consequence was, that the article appeared in the following form, though whether all the absurdities were owing to Miss Lucy’s corrections, or the carelessness of the writer, or the printers had anything to do with it, we are not able to say. The errors, some of them arising from the mere alteration or substitution of a letter, will strike a sporting, more than a general reader. Thus it appeared in the middle of the third sheet of the Swillingford Patriot:

Splendid Run with Mr Puffington’s Hounds

This splendid pack had a superb run from Hollyburn Hanger, the property of its truly popular and sporting owner, Mr Puffington. A splendid field of well-appointed sportsmen, among whom we recognised several distinguished strangers, and members of Lord Scamperdale’s hunt, were present. After partaking of the well-known profuse and splendid hospitality of Hanby House, they proceeded at once to Hollyburn Hanger, where a fine seasonal fox, though some said he was a bay one, broke away in view of the whole pack, every hound scorning to cry, and making the welkin ring with their melody. He broke at the lower end of the cover, and crossing the brook, made straight for Fleecyhaugh Water-Meadows, over which there is always an exquisite perfume; from there he made a slight bend, as if inclining for the plantations at Winstead, but changing his mind, he faced the rising ground, and crossing over nearly the highest point of Shillington Hill, made direct for the little village of Berrington Roothings below. Here the hounds came to a check, but Mr Bragg, who had ridden gallantly on his favourite bay, as fine an animal as ever went, though somewhat past work of mouth, was well up with his hounds, and with a ‘gentle rantipole!’ and a single wave of his arm, proceeded to make one of those scientific rests for which this eminent huntsman is so justly celebrated. Hitting off the scent like a coachman, they went away again at score, and passing by Moorlinch Farm buildings, and threading the strip of plantation by Bexley Burn, he crossed Silverbury Green, leaving Longford Hutch to the right, and passing straight on by the gibbet at Harpen. Here, then, the gallant pack, breaking from scent to view, ran into their box in the open close upon Mountnessing Wood, evidently his point from the first, and into which a few more strides would have carried him. It was as fine a run as ever was seen, and the grunting of the hounds was the admiration of all who heard it. The distance could not have been less than ten miles as a cow goes. The justly popular owner of this most celebrated pack, though riding good fourteen stones, led the Walters on his famous chestnut horse Tappey Lappey. After this truly brilliant affair, Mr Puffington, like a thorough sportsman, and one who never thrashes his hounds unnecessarily -- unlike some masters who never know when to leave off -- returned to Hanby House, where a distinguished party of noblemen and gentlemen partook of his splendid hospitality.

And the considerate Bloomer added of her own accord, ‘We hope we shall have to record many such runs in the imperishable columns of our paper.’