STABLE NECESSARIES 115 



house servants to get assistance in some not very 

 congenial work, or to put it altogether on to the 

 groom. '' He has nothing to do he might help 

 us to clean windows or knives," or do something 

 of the sort. The groom being a good-natured 

 fellow, consents in a weak moment. Probably 

 he thinks it is an exceptional case. If he does 

 he is soon undeceived for he will soon be asked 

 again and again. And I have known cases when 

 a man has been called away from his own work 

 to do that which other people were paid to do. 

 All this is manifestly unfair to the groom, who is, 

 or ought to be, astir long before any others of the 

 household, and who is not infrequently, in the 

 hunting season, at work some hours later than the 

 rest of the household. There is no reason why 

 a man should not be obliging occasionally, and 

 most men will if they are rightly handled. But 

 that is one thing, and it is quite another for him 

 to be at the ' beck and call ' of the house servants. 

 It should be thoroughly understood that any 

 assistance he may give is a matter of courtesy 

 only ; and if there is much repetition of it the 

 master should speak firmly and to the point. 

 Otherwise he may find himself without a good 

 servant whose place it will not be easy to supply. 

 You don't find a careful and competent groom 

 in every Labour Bureau. 



Regularity is absolutely essential in the 

 stable as I have already pointed out, so I wiU say 

 no more on that point, but devote the remainder 

 of this ciiapter to the details of grooming. 



