Year: 1876

from Cedar Grove at that time to O gentle
man in Richmond giving him full account
in glowing colors OF the guy doings there.
The writer was one whose name is known
far and wide. The letter Is old and yellow
with age, but the handwriting Is very legi-
BILE, being large, clear, and plain. ! am
kindly permitted to copy it, only suppress
ing the name OF the writer. I copy vsrbatina,
only suppressing the portions not patent to
the subject:


"I wish, my dear Ran, that Z could give
you faithful picture of the events going
on here, and could tell you OF The fine times,
ioyial meeting, and good fellowship that
has gone hand in hand, but as you know my
powers as scribe are limited, and never
being q victim OF the c9theS scribendi, I
fear that it will be futile effort; but as
promised so will do.


HThe tmeet' was opened by large ball,
which Of course you have heard OF. I must
confess my lack of power to describe it.
Miss Lou. looked as queenly as the Pompa-
dour, bead-dress and all. Your fance


i =


"Pitt Chicester was in his glory, and as-
tonished the natives by his splendid attire.
I am sorry to say he drank too much Bur-
gundy, and tried to quarrel with Judge
Willis, but was stopped. BY the way, your
friend


"But Z will skip ut q jump to the subject
which will interest you most. Know then,
oh my .ticluS debates, that the 'meet was q
glorious one, and the last days chase the
finest run in the memory of man; and it
went away beyond that of Cash's Tavern,
and left old Johnnes far in the shade.


"There were over fifty present, all OF
whom you know-our same old crowd;
our friend Pitt was the 'cock Of the walk
as usual, and as for our host, he looked like
Paris on his Hellenic raid.


"The 'meet' on the last day was very
brilliant and very large, the weather deli
cious, and the ground just perfect. We
were soon on the ground, and then old Nat
let loose the dogs, and soon the cry came,,
'He's stole away!' Away we went IN
rafting spin, dashing straight through the
field to Colonel Carter's wood, where the
old red evidently had its warren. The
hounds, some sixty or seventy couple, tore
on the scent like mad, and their sweet voices
echoed through the bright, cloudless, crisp,
cold air, making the heart beat high. The
| first fence brought some half dozen down,
but they had to take care OF themselves.
The scent now lay hot in the spinney, and
the hounds raced breast high and kept to-
gether splendidly. We crossed the second
fence and left several behind, and then in
steady gallop followed close to the dogs
through the fields across the run, the game
old red keeping on, and showing no signs
OF taking to the ground, but running as
straight as the crow flies, and we all got over
the meadow at a lively rate.


"The steam was up by this time at full
pressure, for it was burning scent, and
they followed hard with their heads up and
sterns down, running straight across hill
and dale, and we kept after them as best we
could; but as fences, bitches, and ugly stone
walls were thick around us, it required
good riding and good horses to keep up.
Ny own mare, I knew, would do her best,
and what that best was compared to the
| others would soon be able to find out. We
had crossed fully half dozen fences, and
at each some came to grief, and none but
the crack riders could keep the hounds in
view, The devil take the hindmost was
the one mot dordre, for we were literally
racing, as Monsieur lie Reynard now changed
his tactics, and struck for cover; but he
couldn't shake the dogs from the trail, and
old Sancho kept at the head all the time, the
hounds pressing the fox so close that he
was run out Of the cover, and again
took to the open, and was once again in
view, and the pack dashed at him, running
by sight, scarcely needing the trail. Only
half a dozen OF the cracks were up now.
The Captain, our host, had taken the lead
Mt the start and still held it, though Pitt
Chichester and Buck Randolph were hold
| ing him close; behind was Champ Conway,
who was doing all he knew to catch up with
McCarty. was sparing my mare for the
final burst and didn't press her. Miles Sell


den was, I could see, doing the same thing.
The mace was terrible strain to the horses,
as they labored on through the soft pasture
ground, sinking above the fetlocks at every
Stride. More than half the riders broke
their horses down here, and it was as much
as the others could do to pull through. At
last we reached the solid ground, and fol-
lowed hard after them. We jumped
Owls creek, but as it was quite low
all got over safely except Page, who
was pitched into the middle, and scrambled
out in pitiable condition. We had been
running nearly al hour, generally in a
straight line and without single check,
and we all knew that the end must soon
come. for neither horses, hounds. or fox
could stand the awful pace we were now
! going; 80 we spurred up our horses for
| final rush. It soon came. Over across q
field to the woods, where Worm-fence ran,
separating the field from forest OF heavy
oak timber, we were right behind the dogs,
and they were right behind the fox. 1t was
a glorious moment. We all put our horses
to the lump. Pitt Chichester was the first
over, his English barb clearing it beauti-
! fully. was right behind him IN neat
leap, but lost my hat. Champ Conway was
almost up to me, and beside him, neck and
neck, was Miles selden. Captain Nc cCarty
had ridden to the right and took the
lump, andthat threw him little behind
MS. The rest hadn't crossed. Pitt had to
null I'D to prevent him from running over
the dogs, and shot little ahead OF him.
The fox was about six feet in front OF the
pack, and just laying his length along the
ground, and doing his best to get away, but
Il was all in vain. The dogs caught him,
and as they did SO Captain McCarty, Pitt,
and myself being ahead, threw ourselves
from our horses right in the midst Of the
snarling, yelling pack, and it was my good
luck to pull the mangled fox from the
hounds and hold it up; aud must say that
it was the proudest moment of my life when
I gained that old reds brush after such o
,nian hid ,11n = r


awe wound up with farewell dinner Of
sixteen courses, and it went ahead Of all
other meals I ever sat down to. The room
was ablaze with the soft, bright light OF the
wax candles, and the immense hickory lire
that elittered on the dazzling English flint
glass and Sevres porcelain of high finish
and exquisite design. The wines were de-