GENTLEMEN DEALERS. 31 



that tliej can continue this practice, without losing 

 very considerably in point of character and prestige 

 in the estimation of their friends and acquaintances. 

 Placing them in comparison with the regular horse- 

 dealer, I have no hesitation in saying that so far as this 

 pursuit is concerned, 1 consider the latter the most 

 respectable man. He sells you a horse openly as a 

 dealer, as a man who disposes of him entirely for profit; 

 you probably place no reliance upon his word, or confi- 

 dence in his honor, he does not ask you to do so, nor is he 

 offended if you do not. You purchase of Mm in piost 

 cases under a written warranty. If the horse does not 

 answer the description given of him the law is open to 

 you for redress. If you have just cause of complaint 

 he generally at once takes the horse back. But if you 

 buy from a gentleman dealer in horses you trust to his 

 word and to his honor. If you are deceived, which by 

 the by, you will find no uncommon case, what is your 

 resource? You must either keep your ,bargain, or, 

 if you hint that you have been taken in, a quarrel 

 ensues, and you are called out for presuming to doubt 

 the word and honor of a man who, however, in such 

 cases, forfeits both perhaps twenty times in a year. 

 Such men, are, however, rare among gentlemen, and 

 I trust may long remain so. From the moment a 

 gentleman first harbors the idea of making money by 



