BUYING A SADDLE-HORSE. 133 



there are who do not in their hearts long to grant the 

 request ; but he is a very busy man, and does not feel 

 as if he could take any more cares upon his shoulders; 

 and very likely he knows little about horses, and really 

 has not the slightest idea how to set about such a pur- 

 chase ; and his mind misgives him as he remembers 

 what he has heard of the tricks of dealers. So he says, 

 " Oh, my dear, I don't see how we can manage it. "We 

 should be cheated, to begin with, and pay twice as much 

 as he is worth, and he would run away and throw you 

 off; and then he would be always sick, and finally fall 

 lame, and would have to be given away before the sea- 

 son is over." This is the critical point of this part of 

 the little family transaction, and if the daughter has 

 nothing more convincing to offer in reply than some 

 vague statement that she is- sure she sees plenty of good 

 horses in the street, and that she does not see why her 

 horse should be sick any more than any one else's, and 

 that there must be plenty of good men to take care of 

 him to be had at low wages, then probably her case is 

 lost. But suppose that she replies : " Oh yes, papa, I 

 know a horse that will do nicely and can't be sickly for 

 he has worked all summer and not lost a clay and he is 

 eight years old and so has eaten all his wild oats by 

 this time and he isn't a very pretty color but then we 

 can buy him cheaper for that reason and I don't care 

 so much for color as I do for shape and he is very well 

 formed indeed his legs and feet are excellent and he 



