TINY PIPPIN. 83 



of ''' Pippin," and sometimes " Tiny" was prefixed to it. *' Tiny 

 Pippin," as the title would convey, was small — indeed, very 

 small — and in addition to this desirable quality for the par- 

 ticular but somewhat crooked path of life it was the rising 

 bubble of his pride to tread, he possessed — as I learned from 

 the first spin he gave me — an excellent seat, a light hand, cool, 

 undaunted courage, and the judgment of far riper years. 

 Nature had cast him in her perfect mould for a jockey, albeit, 

 perhaps, not one remarkable for the development of the beauty 

 of the human form divine. Little and boyish, however, as 

 Tiny Pippin undoubtedly was, and his features bearing the 

 impress of having the light first thro^\Ti upon them within the 

 precincts of a stable, still the expression of his clear gray eyes 

 was such as to leave no doubt of refiection being one of the 

 attributes of his mind. Tiny's nose might be called a snub, 

 and his lips plebeian ; but he looked a lad habitually given 

 to thinking, and upon one subject — how to ride. It Avas 

 universally asserted, and as generally believed, that upon 

 the first occasion of his having a mount in colours, such 

 was his enthusiasm, that he went to bed booted and sjourred, 

 and, riding the race o'er again in his dreams, cruelly lacerated 

 the legs of a juvenile sharer of his couch in the shadowy 

 struggle on the post. As some are born into this breathing 

 world philosophers, poets, painters, and musicians, so the pur- 

 pose of Tiny Pippin's coming was equally well defined, to be a 

 prince — of jockeys. 



Toby had yawned and stretched in the miu'ky light of 

 an autumn morning, after exhibiting the great patience of 

 his kind in fruitlessly watching for hours the approaches of 

 a mouse's hole bored in a corner of my box, when Tiny Pippin 

 entered at the usual time to begin his kindly offices. I was 

 still comfortably lying upon my straw, and felt for the moment 

 little incHnation to be disturbed. 



"What! down yet?" said he, observing my position. 

 "Well !" continued Tiny, closing the door v/ith the utmost 

 gentleness, "it isn't because I can't get no rest myself, 

 that I shouldn't let you, my lustre. Lie still, if ye like, an' 



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