84 THE CHOICE OF A CARRIAGE. 



vehicle is light enough to be readily drawn by one horse ; is 

 it suitable for the city and country or in winter and summer ; 

 is it of such a design that, to be properly appointed, James will 

 have to be put in breeches and boots, or a more elaborate 

 harness and better quality horse bought ? 



To those persons whose circumstances allow them to 

 enjoy the pleasure of owning horses, the result of experience 

 is here given regarding the attempt to combine in one car- 

 riage the requisites of a city and country vehicle or one for 

 summer and winter. The only carriages that unite all the 

 requirements are, for personal driving, a hooded buggy ; and 

 for a carriage to be driven by a servant, the light bus or a 

 wagonette with sliding glass windows, and even the latter 

 vehicle is open to the objection of being rather too heavy for 

 one horse. 



For city use in winter and summer the hansom is the one 

 type that may be comfortably used, and under similar condi- 

 tions in the country the station wagon with a detachable top 

 offers the most advantages. For city use in winter the 

 brougham is the most serviceable ; and for spring, summer 

 and fall the victoria, the most luxurious. The light types 

 (weighing about 800 pounds) of these two designs may be and 

 usually are combined in forming an all-the-year-round turn- 

 out. The same horse, harness and livery can, by stretching 

 a point here and there, be used for both, but the expense is 

 greater than if a country carriage was used in place of the 

 victoria. Why ? Because the wear and tear are on a twelve 

 hundred dollar carriage instead of on a two or three hundred 

 dollar one ; the same in respect to the deterioration of 

 expensive harness and livery ; moreover, the greater cost of 

 renewals has to be considered. 



