126 RIDING FOR LADIES. 



in fact, the more accomplished the rider, the more necessary 

 it may be to do so, for there are many owners of horses 

 who know very Httle themselves about riding, or of the 

 perils attendant upon supplying ladies with unsuitable 

 mounts — and the consequence is, that if there happens to 

 be in the stable a creature whom that Irish groom, already 

 mentioned, would call a "tattherin' divil," he is quietly told 

 off on a hunting day, or otherwise, for the use of the lady 

 or gentleman who may be esteemed the most capable of 

 managing him. 



A Hungerton farmer — one of a big class — once volun- 

 teered to lend me a magnific?ent high-flyer to negotiate 

 the big thorn fences with the Quorn pack. I was foolish 

 enough to accept, without asking anything about the 

 animal, except whether he could jump ; and when I tell 

 you that between Beeby and Scraptoft he gave me two 

 falls, that he knocked down a boy on a pony, and damaged 

 a wrecker to the extent of a couple of sovereigns, besides 

 bringing me home without a hat, and with my face 

 well stuck over with thorns and a general need of surgical 

 assistance all about .me, it will be readily imagined that 

 the "high-flyer" was not exactly an eligible beast for a 

 lady to ride. But his owner only stood in the doorway 

 laughing from ear to ear when he saw me, and uttered 

 a great " guffaw " on hearing the recital of his property's 

 misdeeds. " Glory be to Christmas ! I thought you could 

 ride anything ! " was all that he said, fairly doubled in 

 two with merriment at the sight of my forlorn appearance, 

 and I answered crossly enough, that had I been as wise 



