216 CARELESSNESS. 



When your employers know nothing of the manage- 

 ment of their stables, it is all the more your duty to 

 see that their interests are more sedulously cared for 

 than if they were in full possession of this knowledge, 

 for on this depends your merit as trustworthy servants. 



Carelessness, too, is a great fault in such cases. 



It is absurd to offer as an excuse for careless habits 

 that your employers do not know whether their equi- 

 pages are badly turned out or not, and therefore that 

 you feel no concern at their shabby appearance . 



Is it reasonable to suppose that your employers 

 would put themselves to enormous stable expenses, if 

 they did not care for the manner in which their equi- 

 pages were turned out ? 



In addition to which, your characters are invariably 

 lost — not only amongst gentlemen who know how they 

 ought to be turned out; but also amongst those of your 

 own class, who are always very free in expressing their 

 opinions respecting the character of your turn-out ! 



You will be sure to earn for yourself the appellation 

 of gardener, whenever your name is mentioned. 



Next to a badly cleaned horse, nothing looks so 

 abominable as shabby and badly cleaned harness. It 

 gives that sort of jobbing appearance to the turn-out 

 that ought to be a cause of shame to any private ser- 

 vant ; who, for the most part, takes a just pride in 

 having no more duties imposed upon him than he can 

 faithfully and properly perform. 



I am well aware that some grooms have more to do 

 than they can possibly get through properly. And 

 when that is the case, undoubtedly the groom has 



