The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-12-10

London, December 9.-(SpeciaD D.-These' are the days when the fox has to give his expense for his existence. In every part of the United Kingdom and Ireland the mellow bay of the hound is music to the ears of the thousands of hunters and the M. F. H. of a popular pack is as big man as a cabinet minister.
 From the good old hunting days of Fielding's Squire Weston of Somerset down to this present epoch of gold and motor cars, society has always abounded in able sportsmen, and sportswomen, whose motto has been sport for sport $ sake'
 Jf riding to hounds has more or less been superseded by motoring tours or AL pine escapades, healthy sporting blood still flows in the veins of the British aris- tocracy, despite the frequent insinuations of race degeneration.
 There is not hunting country with a good pack of hounds which has not it's full quota of ladies of high degree to fol- low to the death, and from the runs l have been privileged to see there are no signs of degeneracy among the women of aristocracy.
 Among the hunting enthusiasts may he mentioned Ladies Warwick, Angela Forbes, Ilchester, Middleton, Juliet Duff, Hindlp, Elena Wckham and Constance Stewart Richardson. The Queen of Nor way is an enthusiast so is the Duchess of Bedford. Other devotees in the sociai ranks are the Duchess of Newcastle, the Marchioness of Graham, Lady Lechmere, the Countess of Paris, and Lady Violet Beaumont; while the premier's wife and the Hon. Mrs. Lowther are equally adept at this sport
 The Duke of Bedford has paid sev- sral visits to the geological gardens during his recent stay in London. Ai- though one of our greatest dukes he is a most unobstrusive member of the peerage. He dresses in a plain style and hates nothing so much as pub licity. When he was in the guards his serious and unassuming manner got him the name of "Rousseau," and when he was in India the natives twisted his first name, Hebrand, into "Hatband." Like Mr. Chamberlain, he is rarely seen without his monocle. He is one of the richest landowners in England and gives most of his affairs his personal attention. He owns Covent Gardent market and theatre, Long Acre, Blooms bury and acres of equally valuable cen tral property. His two hobbies are mil l ltary perfection and zoology; and his | private zoo" at Woburn Abbey is said l to be unique in it's inmates and ar arrangements.
 A curious romance hangs around the l history of the first Duchess of Bedford l She was daughter of the Countess | of Somerset whom Essex divorced and | who played a part that was infamous | In the extreme. So dark was the cloud | that the future dukes father gave him | leave ito choose wife from any fam | lily but the Somersets." Naturally no | other woman would content the young | lover and in due course they were mar ried. The bride never knew her moth sr's dreadful story until she read 1t in pamphlet by mere accident and It Affected her so deeply that she was found with the book in her hand lying l on the ground sensoless. The Russells were landowners In Dorset at least as early as 1902 and they have held the eardom of Bedford since 1549. Ina John Russell who first obtained the title seems to have done so by impress Ing Henry VIII with his knowledge Of foreign languages. When the only son of the Emperor Maximilian was driven ashore at Weymouth John Russell was the one man found who could talk to him in his own language
 MT. Winston churhill, the first sea lord to go down in q submarine. is the hero of the following anecdoto and he often relates 1t himself:
 A grandfatherly old soul looking into a shop window saw portrait that l. greatly interested him. Turning to ar-