Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. SOTHERN IN THE HUNTING-FIELD. During- the long runs of the successful Hay- market plays, when, no rehearsals being necessary, Sothern had what was for a being of his enthusiastic temperament superabundant time upon his hands, outlets were required for his extraordinary flow of animal life and spirits. These took many forms, and in its turn fox-hunting occupied much of his time and attention; indeed, he took to the sport dear to the hearts of most English gentlemen with a zeal that was absolutely intense. Endowed as he was in those days with an iron nerve, a splendid physique, and abundant means, the hunting-field became as much a part of his life as was the stage, and in it he probably enjoyed some of the happiest hours of his restless, eager life. It was difficult, of course, to hunt three orfour days in the week, and to appear every evening on the stage, and it is not unlikely that the immense strain upon his resources that at this time he voluntarily put upon himself shortened his days; but he loved his horses and the music of the hounds; he could not disappoint himself; and he never, whatever the cost might be, disappointed the public. He attributed his remarkable immunity from misadventure, which might have interfered with his performances, to the extreme care with which he gave instructions to his grooms and coachmen as to the times and places at which they were to meet him. He invariably gave each man his directions in writing, so that there could be no mistake, and he exacted from all his servants the most implicit obedience to orders. In this way his plans were carefully made, and as carefully carried out. Notwithstanding these elaborate precautions, mistakes were sometimes very nearly made. One day that he was out with the Surrey Stag Hounds, he…