242 WHISPERS FROM FAIRYLAND. [v.

meditations, and at last, coming to a mossy bank
where was aclear space beneath the branches’ of a
mighty beech, he threw himself down thereupon for a
little rest, and after listening to the woodland sounds
about him for a few seconds, again found his thoughts
reverting to the event which had so disturbed him,
and almost involuntarily exclaimed aloud, ‘Confound
that old ass Watkins !’

T hope nobody will find fault with me for ventur-
ing to chronicle this naughty observation. There are
some critics so fastidious that@€ they blame the
thoughtless or worse than thoughtless writer who
’ ventures to make his heroes or h€roines say anything
which is not perfectly proper as well as grammatical.
But, unfortunately, people are zot always perfectly
proper, let alone grammatical, in their utterances, and
I do not pretend to relate only the sayings and
doings of people who always said and did exactly
what was proper and correct. I should, myself, find
it dull and insipid to do so, and possibly there are
others in this wicked world who might agree with me.
It must not be supposed for a moment that I defend
Harry for having made the above observation regard-
ing the hostile umpire. No doubt he was wrong, but
unfortunately he said it all the same, and I can only
tell what really happened as it was told to me by
those who know.: Again, then, do I’ respectfully
chronicle the fact that Harry, with some emphasis
and energy, observed, at the particular moment of
which we are now speaking, ‘Confound that old
ass Watkins!’

To his infinite surprise, the words were hardly out

e