CHAPTER YII. 



THE FAULTS INSEPARABLE FROM MOST PRESENT ERECTIONS WHICH ARE 

 USED AS STABLES, 



No gentleman regards his country-seat as finished until to it ample 

 stabling is appended. The mansion is the first thing looked to. All its 

 rooms must be noble ; all its offices must be convenient. The pleasure- 

 grounds must be magnificent ; the kitchen-garden should be much larger 

 than is absolutely necessary. Nothing must interrupt the view from 

 the drawing-room windows. A park, or its imitation, must terminate 

 the lawn. No wood must be sacrificed. Everything must imply more 

 wealth than the owner's purse actually contains. As to stables, of 

 course they must be most excellent ; only, being situated in the back- 

 ground, no great expense need be lavished on such out-buildings ; any 

 waste spot will serve for their erection. A small space, judiciously em- 

 plo5^ed, can be made to house a great number of horses. 



The architect, being informed of the wishes of his employer, unhesi- 

 tatingly asserts that four feet, or four feet six, or, in extreme cases, five 

 feet, are considered ample width for stalls. The proprietor agrees to 

 grant the last-named space for the abiding-place by day of a living 

 horse, and the spot on which rest must be enjoyed during night by the 

 same huge quadruped. Many a human pigmy sleeps on a more ample 

 couch, which, moreover, is situated in a spacious chamber. Such is the 

 distinction drawn between master and slave; although, when rightly 

 considered, life is but life, and the larger animal has the greater neces- 

 sity for more abundant air ! 



This decided, the gentleman rubs his hands, and, warmed by the con- 

 templation of his own liberality, applauds "the nice arrangements," 

 which he has sanctioned "regardless of expense." But the carriage- 

 house, he is positive, shall be built quite large enough. He cannot 

 forget that those rascals grazed his last new vehicle on the very day it 

 came home from Long Acre. The accident happened while putting it 

 mto a narrow building. No 1 Let what will be cramped, the carriage- 

 homfic must be spacious. 



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