EFFECTS OF LAVISH GIFTS TO CHILDREN. 163 



almost of a manumitted slave, their masters, who often 

 are their only real friends. 



The lavish gifts to jockeys who are really no more than 

 children is one of the gravest errors of the present day. 

 We remember, as one early instance of this, how Captain 

 Scott, looked up to and worshipped as a modern Croesus, 

 used freely to reward boys on the least success, whether that 

 success resulted from merit or accident ; a misguided bounty 

 as ruinous to the lads as it was to himself. Even grown 

 men are not always proof against the fascinations of pros- 

 perity ; for we see instances, happily few I grant, of jockeys 

 winning more than one Derby and other great races in almost 

 unbroken succession, and thus rapidly amassing large for- 

 tunes, only to fall beneath the weight, consigning themselves 

 through intemperance and negligence to wretchedness and 

 to the poverty from which they had so lately emerged. 



Gentlemen would do well to think twice before placing 

 such temptations in the way of boys. If gifts be made to the 

 deserving, let the money be given in proper keeping until 

 the lads are old enough to appreciate the value of the 

 present ; when it would be of service to them, and its donor 

 remembered with gratitude. 



" The world," it is said, " has not yet learned the riches of 

 frugality." It is to be feared that movement in this respect is 

 rather retrograde than progressive. I am bound to say, that 

 in my opinion much of the misbehaviour of our light-weight 

 jockeys has its rise in the extravagant presents made them by 

 owners of winning horses — at least tenfold what they merit or 

 indeed should receive. Latent presumption is thus turned to 

 impudence, exhibited to any and to all who are not in a posi- 

 tion, or, as a matter of principle, decline to pay on the same 

 absurd scale. 



M 2 



