66 UNASKED ADVICE. 



horse provided for him ! What more could he wish for ? 

 Not much more, perhaps, yet possibly a little less of 

 kindness. For though the animal be described, and 

 justly so, as an excellent hunter nay, even though the 

 daughter of the house may have ridden him in the 

 capital run which heralded the appearance of the late frost 

 that performance is a fortnight old. Tempora mutaniur, 

 et nos mutamur in ill is. " Confidence " is a very different 

 animal now to what he was two short weeks ago. 



Who could honestly lay his hand on his heart and 

 affirm himself ambitious to change places with Brown ? 

 Fancy him as he stands on the door step, attired in 

 shooting things (not expecting this pleasure, of course he 

 had brought no boots and et-ceteras), and listening to the 

 playful squeak with which his mouture announces him- 

 self; observing also the somewhat ungraceful curl with 

 with which he carries his tail over his back, frisking 

 around his groom the while ! We needn't follow him. 

 We all that is all who have arrived at years of discretion 

 have experienced the sort of thing, and know that there 

 is no conceivable folly, from kicking a hound to leaping 

 into a quarry to avoid a falling acorn, that a "fresh" 

 horse will not commit, nay, make a point of committing. 

 Still what is danger to Brown is sport to the rest of the 

 company, and these evil habits may make a horse equally 

 a handful to his rider, without affording so pleasing a 

 spectacle to the looker-on. A fidgety horse is a great 

 bore : he won't stand still. He sidles under a tree, as if 

 desirous of clearing up once and for ever the doubt 

 whether it is possible, in these days of close-cropped 

 hair, but flowing whiskers, &c., to suffer the fate of 

 Absalom. He turns his tail studiously to each and 

 every one with whom his rider is desirous of holding 



