500 ASHGILL; OR, THE LIFE OF JOHN OSBORNE 



There should be, as far as possible, a sentiment of 

 friendship and confidence between the horse and the 

 horseman. Often enough have we seen a horse 

 breaking into a state of trembling and sweat at the 

 approach of a jockey. When that occurs a change 

 should assuredly be made. Matthew Dawson used to 

 cite a case in point between Kirkham and the jockey 

 Bowes, who would have been killed but for the timely 

 assistance of the trainer. Kirkham w^ould never agree 

 with Bowes either in the saddle or on the Heath. 

 Jealousy between horses, too, is not an unknown 

 passion. An instance of this may be cited in the case 

 of Julius, who, after his severe races with Hermit in the 

 St. Leger and in the Match, strongly evinced his 

 implacable hatred of his conqueror when they were near 

 each other on the Heath, sight, sound, or smell being 

 sufficient to create an explosion of Julius's temper. 



Many tales are told of the princely generosity and 

 the unobtrusive philanthropy of Matthew Dawson and 

 John Scott, both of whom had " a tear for pity and a 

 hand open as the day for melting charity." In like 

 manner has John Osborne acted all his life to friends, 

 relations, unfortunate jockeys, touts, and brother 

 trainers. Balzac, the great French writer, in his story 

 of "Eugenie Grandet," paid a poetic and beautiful 

 tribute to the memory of his dead heroine when he said, 

 " Her soul was accompanied to heaven by a glorious 

 cortege of good deeds." Such a tribute would not be 

 inapt to John Osborne, when, after " life's fitful fever," 

 he is called upon to pass the " scales " of human 

 existence. 



FINIS 



