more settled weather, and again that we might behold the harvesting operations as we passed the various farms which lined our road. Again did our friends breakfast with us, and again we were picked up at the opposite corner. This year our neighbours were wiser than in the preceding one, and many a nod and good wish for a pleasant day greeted us as we passed along to our waiting van.

One of our young friends only missed muster when time was called, and he we were aware had been suddenly summoned into Kent on the previous day. We all regretted his unavoidable absence-and being at last settled down in our seats the word "Forward" was given, and the greys trotted merrily along. Our route lay through Hackney, Clapton, Tottenham, Edmonton, Waltham, Cheshunt, and Hoddesdon, and we arranged that our first baiting place should be "The Bell," of the celebrated "Citizen of London's famous town."

Whilst passing along Upper Clapton our ears were saluted with sounds of "stop! stop!" and our driver pulled up in sudden fright least any of the children might have fallen out behind. Our attention being called to the distance, we beheld a Hansome bowling along in glorious style, and the passenger waving a white flag in sign of wishing to speak to us. Ere we could discern the face of our pursuer, we concluded that some fearful family accident was to be announced to some one or more of our party, or else that a detective officer in pursuit of a delinquent wished to ascertain whether he might be in our van or not. You may conjecture our gratification when we beheld in the cabman's fare the person of our missing friend, who, with determined pluck, had travelled up from Tonbridge by the first train, and cabbed it after us, with full determination not to be left out of the day's frolic, even if he had not caught us until the end of our journey. Thus we arrived at Johnny Gilpin's appointed hostel, with better luck than did "his wife and children three," for we all stopped and refreshed ourselves there together.

Whilst strolling in the gardens of The Bell, our cars were greeted with some of the most discordant sounds that could possibly be extracted from bugles and French horns. Hurrying to the front, we beheld a gaily-decorated omnibus, with foaming horses, out of which rushed a mob of most oddly accoutred men. Strange as was their attire, and outré as their appearance, yet it was certain they were not of the lower class. Some were youths, whilst others were more advanced in life, but amidst the great variety of their dress; every one wore a whitehat. Alongside the omnibus was pasted in conspicuous letters "Colney Hatch," and on the door, "What a batch from Colney Hatch." They also had stopped to bait their horses, and we had not passed many furlongs on our way when they appeared in hot pursuit. When alongside of us they hailed and inquired our destination, and in reply to the desired answer they said they were going to stop at Broxbourne. Some of the lasses having declared that our day would lose half its pleasure from being deprived of their agreeable society, one of the party admirably replied by playing in exquisite style, "Auld Lang Syne," and another followed him with "Alice Gray.

Banter and jest followed each other in rapid succession, and when we arrived at Broxbourne we were sorry that our route was different from theirs. We pulled up, when they did the same, and had a pleasant

F

ten minutes chat whilst indulging in our Havannahs and partaking of an extempore "Dorroch au dorroch."

At Hoddesdon we turned into the Old Cambridge Road, along the Rye, and in a brief time found ourselves at this celebrated resort of Cockney pleasure-seekers. Amongst other of its advertised advantages the boating and fishing offered by the river Lea are not the least; whilst its gardens with their various alcoves afford accommodation to those who, like ourselves, preferred bringing their own provisions to trusting to the chances of a "table d'hôte," or of a suddenly ordered dinner.

We arrived about twelve o'clock, having expedited our journey that we might see some of its vaunted curiosities before we dined. We had engaged an out-door compartment, where 20 could sit down in comfort, and the services of a waiter, whom I booked by a douceur to aid my "odd boy," in laying out the table and preparing for our wants against our return. Our first visit was to the banqueting hall, which forms so prominent an object in their posters, and found a long room welladapted for the visitants at bean-feasts and other convivialities, but the community of which would ill accord with a snug family gathering. Some old portraits and miscellaneous paintings decorated its walls, and might prove very interesting to second-rate connoisseurs. Thence we proceeded to the donjon, which looked very much like an under-ground cellar, and then entered on a bowling-green in the rear. Here a party of so-styled gypsies and other vagabond attendants of country gatherings met the sight, and invitations to have our fortunes told, and to mount donkeys and half-starved ponies, assailed us on every side. Riflegalleries of some 30 feet in length yielded opportunities for display of London skill, and swings and round-abouts tempted the pence out of the children's pockets. Quoits, and trap-bat and ball, and bowls and skittles had also their respective localities, and a field adjoining afforded space for the lovers of cricket.

Having taken stock of the various capabilities of the lacale, we returned to our room, where we found our cold collation ready for our reception. We here received an addition to our party in the persons of my brother-in-law and his wife with their son and two daughters, who had driven over some six or seven miles to join our merry-making. A cold pie with some good sherry were his contribution to our junket, and we proceeded to attack the good things provided with a determination to do ample justice to the caterer's intentions.

After eating and drinking to the heart's content we sat for a few minutes in quiet chat. This was, however, soon broken into by vociferous demands from the youngsters to take boat up the river, and as I knew that two or three of my young friends were experienced scullers I gave my assent to a row up the river. The day was remarkably fine, and we much enjoyed the ride, which we continued till stopped by the mill at St. Margarets. Being on terms of close intimacy with the owner thereof, with whom one of my daughters was then on a visit, we entered the house, and arranged to take her back with us.

After tea one of the managers was to row her back in his own boat, which he promised to follow with in time for that meal. We then returned to the Rye House, and filled up the remainder of the afternoon with various of its sports, some taking to quoits, others to cricket,

whilst the elders preferred the more quiet games of trap-ball, or quoits, or bowls. This being a kind of by-day there were only two other small parties, and we had the whole resources for amusement at our joint disposal without let or annoyance.

We sat down, about twenty-seven of us to tea, having been provided with hot water, watercresses, shrimps, and milk by our waiter, and managed to do pretty well therewith, having eked out the same with some slices of the ham left from the dinner. Ours was no formal party, but mirth and laughter kept running accompaniments with each monthful we swallowed. Absent friends were remembered and also pitied for their absence, and ourselves congratulated on our holiday and the fineness of the weather. The souchong seemed to have a richer flavour, and the bread and butter more enjoyable than when served up at our town tables, whilst we had the full benefit of that best of zests, "a famous appetite."

Whilst the driver and our boy were taking their teas and packing-up and preparing for the return journey, my brother's sherry was tapped, and with some fruit, formed a light and spirituous finale to our feasting. Having seen my daughter off in her boat, my brotherin-law's carriage was called out, and he bade us au revoir. Our van was then drawn up, and we prepared for our three hour's return ride. We had taken care to provide extra wrappings for the increased cold of the evening, and took every precaution against rheumatism or other form of illness likely to follow a sudden chill. The horses, refreshed by their day's rest were eager for returning to their own mangers, and started off in high spirits as soon as the driver smacked his whip at them.

We came bowling along at about eight miles an hour across the Rye, and passed through Hoddesdon in good style. As we entered Broxbourne some one exclaimed "surely there's Alice Gray' again," and as we came to the lane leading to that station, we caught sight of our strange acquaintance of the morning and their eccentrically labelled conveyance. Not feeling satisfied but that their potations during the day might have turned their morning's levity into a near approach to licentiousness, I desired our driver to keep steadily on, and maintain, if possible, the convenient two or three hundred yards of advantage we now possessed. We also determined to change our stopping place if necessary, that they might have the advance of us, and thus be enabled to regulate our motions by theirs. Accordingly we drove on to Cheshunt, and pulled in at the roadside inn, where they passed us, and we saw no more of them. When we started again we missed one of our friend's and found he had gone aloft to smoke, as he said, his cigar on the driver's box. He determined to remain there, as he had persuaded the man to give him over the ribands, and said he would drive us back

to town.

This was fortunate for us eventually, as the driver had taken rather more liquor than was consistent with steady coaching, and soon fell asleep. Whether he was anything like old Pleydell's clerk who could carry on his vocation as well drunk as sober I know not, for our friend's cares for us far outweighed his carelessness, and in due time the horses stopped again at the Bell at Edmonton. Having persuaded the ladies to take a little warm negus or spirituous water, the majority determined

on a walk to stretch their limbs, and challenged the young men of the party to accompany them on the road towards town. It was accordingly arranged that the van should pick them up en passant, and we determined to keep a sharp look out each for the other. We who remained behind determined to give them a fair start, and accordingly ordered another round of "hot with," and ligh'ed up a fresh cigar whilst we remained in the inn.

Having been brought up in the immediate neighbourhood, I made a few inquiries after some of the old families, and found, though not much to my surprise, that most of them had died off or left the place. Edmonton of my youthful days had departed and was now replaced by houses and shops adapted to a London suburb. Even the fields and gardens had vanished from the road-side, and a long line of bricks and mortar occupied their site. I thought for a brief space of parents, brothers, wife, and children gone before me, and perhaps should have assumed a melancholic strain, when the voices of the living wife and offspring recalled me to a sense of present duties, and I gave the word to "lumber up" and be moving.

The half-hour thus occupied had enabled our young friends to reach Tottenham High Cross before we had picked up the last of them, when we settled down for another hour's riding. The curtains drawn closely down, and the ladies forms being disguised by their wrappers, and fatigued with their recent walk, some of them dosed off, and thus afforded their gallants ample opportunities for doing the amiable. As we passed into Hackney & stronger light than usual occasionally revealed the secrets of the darkened interior, and many a quizzing reference was made over the supper table.

A

As in the previous year we found on our return home a table set out with pastry, and cream and other cheeses waiting our reception, and the small hours came round before our last parting had taken place. happier, merrier party I never entertained, and shall only be too happy, time and opportunity serving, to repeat the experiment in the coming

summer.

THE

BRAKE.

ENGRAVED BY E. HACKER, FROM A PAINTING BY E. CORBET.

When the game is found you cannot be too quiet: the hare is an animal so very timorous, that she is frequently headed back, and your dogs are liable to over-run the scent at every instant; it is best, therefore, to keep a considerable way behind them, that they may have room to turn as soon as they perceive they have lost the scent; and if treated in this manner, they will seldom over-run it much. Your hounds, through the whole chase, should be left almost entirely to themselves, nor should they be hallooed too much when the hare doubles they should hunt through those doubles; nor is a hare hunted fairly when hunted otherwise.-BECKFORD.