Anonyma,as we were told the other day,may show herself;but if so,she rides alone.The young man must be a brazen sinner,too far gone for hunting to hurt him,who will ride with Anonyma in the field.I know no vice which hunting either produces or renders probable,except the vice of extravagance;and to that,if a man be that way given,every pursuit in life will equally lead him A seat for a Metropolitan borough,or a love of ortolans,or a taste even for new boots will ruin a man who puts himself in the way of ruin.The same may be said of hunting,the same and no more.
But not the less is the general feeling very strong against the hunting parson;and not the less will it remain so in spite of anything that I may say.Under these circumstances our friend the hunting parson usually rides as though he were more or less under a cloud.The cloud is not to be seen in a melancholy brow or a shamed demeanour;for the hunting parson will have lived down those feelings,and is generally too forcible a man to allow himself to be subjected to such annoyances;nor is the cloud to be found in any gentle tardiness of his motions,or an attempt at suppressed riding;for the hunting parson generally rides hard.
Unless he loved hunting much he would not be there.But the cloud is to be perceived and heard in the manner in which he speaks of himself and his own doings.He is never natural in his self-talk as is any other man.He either flies at his own cloth at once,marring some false apology for his presence,telling you that he is there just to see the hounds,and hinting to you his own know ledge that he has no business to ride after them;or else he drops his profession altogether,and speaks to you in a tone which makes you feel that you would not dare to speak to him about his parish.You can talk to the banker about his banking,the brewer about his brewing,the farmer about his barley,or the landlord about his land;but to a hunting parson of this latter class,you may not say a word about his church.
There are three modes in which a hunting parson may dress himself for hunting,the variations having reference solely to the nether man.As regards the upper man there can never be a difference.A chimney-pot hat,a white neckerchief,somewhat broad in its folds and strong with plentiful starch,a stout black coat,cut rather shorter than is common with clergymen,and a modest,darksome waistcoat that shall attract no attention,these are all matters of course.But the observer,if he will allow his eye to descend below these upper garments,will perceive that the clergyman may be comfortable and bold in breeches,or he may be uncomfortable and semi-decorous in black trowsers.And there is another mode of dress open to him,which Ican assure my readers is not an unknown costume,a tertium quid,by which semi-decorum and comfort are combined.The hunting breeches are put on first,and the black trowsers are drawn over them.