MY FIRST TURX-OUT. 215 



pair on my own account. Never shall I 

 forget that proud hour of my triumph when 

 I made my first public essa}" out of the 

 yard of the " Pelican," on m}^ road to 

 Reading racss. I was accompanied by about 

 five or six of my comrades on horseback, 

 and by one or two aspiring Dennets, the 

 drivers of which vainly essayed to beat my 

 two thorouofhbred nasfs. 



As we entered the town, for a young 

 " chum" of mine, now long since gathered 

 to his ancestors, sat by my side, the streets 

 were lined with an infinite assemblage of 

 peers and peasants, squires and blacklegs, sport- 

 ing men and bettors, horse-dealers, jockeys, 

 orooms. trainers, and cardsellers. 



However much it may tell against me — 

 however greatly I may lower myself in the 

 estimation of the reader — truth compels me 

 to admit that my aspiring vanity metamor- 

 phosed the gaping crowd into admirers of 

 myself and my turn-out; and when my 

 companion sounded the mail-horn, when I 

 cracked my whip and shook my head kuow- 

 jjjo-ly — well, iliere was not much in that, as a 

 cynic will remark — I, with " all my blushing 

 honours thick around me," felt as proud as 



