HORSES — THEIR FINAL USES 219 



for the ' International Society for the Protection of Animals 

 from Vivisection.' I attended an annual meeting of that 

 society in London, and listened with great interest to the 

 eloquent speakers, and was convinced that under the 

 presidency of Lord Coleridge, supported by Bishop Barry, 

 Surgeon General Watson, Sir J. Bennington Simeon, Mrs 

 Wynford Phillips, Canon Percy Smith, Dr Berdoe, and 

 others, together with public sympathy and support, the 

 total suppression of vivisection, would become a law by 

 Act of Parliament. 



I was told that the ' Society for the Prevention of Cruelty 

 to Animals ' was quite as much a necessity in England, as 

 elsewhere, but during my long stay, I have seen very 

 little to condemn which could be called cruel, and could 

 not fail to notice the humane care which most drivers gave 

 to their horses. The hansom drivers may be an excep- 

 tion, as the sharp crack of their long whips too often 

 proclaim a stinging cut on the flanks of the pretty little 

 horses, who trot along so speedily. Many a rebuke do 

 the drivers earn from ladies, who threaten to leave the 

 hansom and keep the fare ! There are well-intentioned 

 women, too, who indulge in exaggerated sentiment which 

 may be kind, but needs a little common sense to temper it. 

 I had an amusing encounter of that sort one day, when in 

 the ' bus ' by St Mary Abbots, at the foot of the long hill, 

 a lady, young and pretty, suddenly exclaimed, ' Get off 

 there, you naughty boys ! you shall 7ioi add to the burden 

 of these poor horses going up this terrible hill ! ' She 

 turned to me with an air of great indignation as if for 

 support, but I said, — 



'Oh! let the boys steal a ride! they can't go far!' 



' But THINK of the poor horses ! ' 



