For the first time in many a long year a gamekeeper may find himself
taking a holiday in the early days of February--either because he
has left his place of his own free will, or has been dismissed.
"Left owing to shoot being given up"--that is the usual reason for
a keeper's enforced holiday. Married keepers seldom leave berths of
their own accord except to better themselves; but a young bachelor
keeper with a light heart may be fond of change, and scores of places
are open to him from which married men are barred. Often he can afford
to take a holiday while he looks about for a new berth; he can find
lodgings anywhere, and what with odd jobs and the money he has saved
he can exist comfortably until he finds an employer to suit him. The
married keeper is not so light-hearted, and perhaps on this account
the best permanent berths go to the married men. The chance of such a
berth gives the country maiden her best chance of bagging an elusive
bachelor. Sometimes she captures the heart of a bachelor before he has
found a berth that will support a wife; then he will advertise for a
place, making the ambiguous statement: "Married when suited." No doubt
some keepers who have issued this form of advertisement could tell
strange stories of the applications received.
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