Irish Racing Enthusiasts

New Zealand Listener, Volume 4, Issue 82, 17 January 1941, Page 5

Irish Racing Enthusiasts

AFTER breakfast came family prayers, the family consisting of Phillipa, and "a vinegar-faced henchwoman." During the long prayers sounds as of a hunt came through the open window. Finally a small boy "with a face freckled like a turkey’s egg" called quietly through the open window " Ma’am! Ma’am." Mrs. Knox waved him away, but the Amen followed in a most. unusual place. The small boy produced a donkey and a bath-chair even while Mrs. Knox scrambled up from her knees, "They're found," she said. Having added to her previous attire a fur cape, her boots and a garden hat, she was soon in the bath-chair, the small boy ‘belabouring the donkey, and Phillipa hanging on behind. Soon Johnny, the donkey boy, spotted a fox, Two or three hounds came rushing up, and soon a small and very unorthodox hunt was in progress. The fox tore on, pursued by the bath-chair party, till it came to a place where a stream went under a road by a culvert. "Pon me conscience, he’s into the old culvert!" exclaimed. Mrs. Knox. "There was one of my hounds choked there long ago! In the hurry and excitement the donkey and chair were overturned but the indomitable old lady went on to the culvert where the three human beings and five hounds both-saw and smelt the fox. One of the hounds went in after it, but as there was what Johnny, called. a "strong grating" at the far end they couldn’t get out there. Mrs. Knox: ordered Johnny in to pull the hound out. "I’d be in dread, ma’am," whined Johnny. "Balderdeish," said the implacable Mrs. Knox, "In with you!" Soon, from the depths of the culvert Johnny reported that he had the hound by the tail, but he couldn’t get him .out and the water was rising-("A Few Minutes with Women Novelists: Somerville and Ross,’ by Miss Margaret Johnston, 2YA, January 4.)