lyo OCCASIONAL HAPPY THOUGHTS. 



two parts in the same piece, to " double " the Groom and the 

 Gardener. Now^ when I want him to come out as the 

 Groom and be horsey, he insists upon appearing in his 

 favourite role of the Gardener, and being more of a vegetable 

 than usual. The reverse of this is, that when he ought to be 

 mowing or sowing, he is either cleaning the harness or 

 making a round of his own private calls on other gardeners 

 and a few public-house keepers, which social proceeding he 

 describes to me as " being obliged to exercise the 'oss." 



As a judge of a horse, or of a horse's age, Murgle, at this 

 minute, is of as much use as my gate-post. 



" Rising five," says Chalvey, protesting, " that ain't old." 

 " No," returns that idiot Murgle, sagely shaking his stupid 

 sheep's head, " he ain't old neither." 



Happy Thought. — Chalvey is aware that Murgle and my- 

 self have as much idea of that horse's age as the man in the 

 moon. So I say knowingly, " Ah, he's more than five." 



" Well," says Chalvey, " there's as much work in him as 

 you'll want, Sir, for the next ten or twelve years. P'raps 

 you'd like to try him." 



" No, thank you." 



Happy Thought, — Wait until I can do it quietly, without 

 spectators. 



Cazell says, " O, you'd better try him. You ought to try 

 him." 



" Would you like to take him over a hurdle in the field 

 then, Sir?" asks Chalvey. 



