THE oldster's advice to the youxcste?.. 19 



"Hany," said Robert Top, with tlie habitual jerk of the 

 badger-pied cap over one of his sloj)ing organs of sight, and 

 burying his arms far above the elbows in the deep pockets of 

 his drab knee-breeches, — " Harry," repeated he, stretching his 

 legs wide apart, "that's a bless-ed symptom of jolly good luck, 

 lad. I'm, not an old 'ooman ; far from it ; but a black feeline 

 taking to a oss like that, tells me we shall have luck with'm, 

 lad, and the cream o' luck, too." 



"Hope we may, sir," replied Harry, again dropping upon 

 his Imees, and resuming his labours at my legs. 



Harry Dale, you are now a " man," in the comprehensive 

 sense which the world puts upon that definition. You are 

 rich, and I, "a screw," as I am called, was the stepping-stone 

 to your footing. The time has been wlien you were uncared 

 for, and unheeded as I am — ^when you v/ere a round-faced, red- 

 cheeked stable boy, and I "the crack" of that stable, and the 

 almost worshipped favourite of thousands, ay, and tens of 

 thousands — when to be my attendant Avas your honour. That 

 day was mine ; this is yours. ; 



"On Monday next, HaiTy," remarked our head groom, re- 

 moving Toby from my back, where he was sitting in the act of 

 cleaning his face in the primitive method cats usually adopt at 

 their toilet, — " on Monday next," repeated he, caressing Toby 

 most affectionately, "we shall start with the colts for New- 

 market, and you will look after this one there as you have 

 done here." 



"Yessir," responded Harry, stopping for a moment his 

 "t-s-h — p-s-h," as he rubbed away at my legs. 



" Toby shall go with us," continued Mr. Top, " and take up 

 his quarters there also ; and you'll pay partic'lar attention, 

 Harry, whensomdever the colt shows signs o' temper, to give 

 him the cat to play with. He'll want humourin', Harry, as he 

 trains on, — and, mind my words, a good deal o' temper, in men 

 and osses, depends on the way in which they're humoured, 

 Most of ns have a Toby o' some sort or another ; and if so be 

 people would give theirselves the trouble o' finding our Tobys 



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