COMPETENT AND INCOMPETENT SERVANTS. 319 



and promptness, the night blankets are beaten and aired, 

 sponges and brushes placed in the sunshine to dry, the day 

 blankets and head collars put on, the brow-bands freshly 

 pipe-clayed, and the metal parts polished. By half past 

 eight or nine the stable is all " set fair " for the day, the 

 horses given an amount of food proportionate with the 

 amount of work they are called upon to perform, and later 

 in the morning, if there are no orders for the day, they are 

 exercised. The bandages and rubbing-cloths are then 

 washed and hung out to dry, the stable tools cleaned, and 

 the grounds about the stable put in order. 



Now let it be supposed that an order is given for the 

 brougham and pair with two men on the box at one o'clock. 

 The horses are fed at eleven instead of twelve, the carriage 

 is run into place and dusted, the livery is got ready. At 

 twelve the servants go to their dinner; they return at twenty 

 minutes past and the groom harnesses the horses, while the 

 coachman dons his livery, with the exception of his body 

 coat and hat. He then appears with his clothes protected 

 by an apron and puts the horses in while the groom is dress- 

 ing, and at five minutes to one the trap draws up at the 

 owner's door. 



It all seems very simple, it is only what might be expected, 

 and there appears to be no reason why it should be other- 

 wise ; however, with bad management the result would not 

 have been the same. The order in all likelihood would have 

 been misunderstood, the horses watered and fed just before 

 going out, the groom thoughtlessly sent off on some errand, 

 the livery hurriedly jumped into and the turn-out twenty 

 minutes late in making its appearance ; for which last fault, 

 resulting in the mistress being forced to take a cab in order 



