tch of
coach-horses. It related to the manner in which a gentleman should take
care of his horse and self, whilst engaged in a journey on horseback, and
was addressed to myself, on the supposition of my one day coming to an
estate, and of course becoming a gentleman.

'When you are a gentleman,' said he, 'should you ever wish to take a
journey on a horse of your own, and you could not have a much better than
the one you have here eating its fill in the box yonder--I wonder
by-the-by, how you ever came by it--you can't do better than follow the
advice I am about to give you, both with respect to your animal and
yourself. Before you start, merely give your horse a couple of handfuls
of corn, and a little water, somewhat under a quart, and if you drink a
pint of water yourself out of the pail, you will feel all the better
during the whole day; then you may walk and trot your animal for about
ten miles, till you come to some nice inn, where you may get down and see
your horse led into a nice stall, telling the ostler not to feed him till
you come. If the ostler happens to be a dog-fancier, and has an English
terrier dog like that of mine there, say what a nice dog it is, and
praise its black and tawn; and if he does not happen to be a dog-fancier,
ask him how he's getting on, and whether he ever knew worse times; that
kind of thing will please the ostler, and he will let you do just what
you please with your own horse, and when your back is turned, he'll say
to his comrades what a nice gentleman you are, and how he thinks he has
seen you before; then go and sit down to breakfast, and before you have
finished breakfast, get up and go and give your horse a feed of corn,
chat with the ostler two or three minutes till your horse has taken the
shine out of his corn, which will prevent the ostler taking any of it
away when your back is turned, for such things are sometimes done--not
that I ever did such a thing myself when I was at the inn at Hounslow.
Oh, dear me, no! Then go and finish your breakfast, and when you have
finished your breakfast and called for the newspaper, go and water your
horse, letting him have about one pailful, then give him another feed of
corn, and enter into discourse with the ostler about bull-baiting, the
prime minister, and the like; and when your horse has once more taken the
shine out of his corn, go back to your room and your newspaper--and I
hope for your sake it may be the "Globe," for that's