A DEAR HORSE. 289 



a man must be badly off for friends if he cannot find 

 one who will take this trouble for him. But then the 

 money must be forthcoming ; promises or " bits of 

 stiff" won't do for men who will take a reasonable 

 profit, and want their money to go to market with ; 

 for " bits of stiff" won't do there either. 



A friend of mine, who is a very fair judge of a 

 horse, two years since merely wanted one to carry 

 him safely and pleasantly on the road : he rides heavy, 

 is a liberal man, so was willing to pay a liberal price, 

 and he did so (very considerably more than a hun- 

 dred). The horse did not suit him, though what 

 the dealer said of him could not be contradicted (for 

 pleasantness in riding is rather a vague and indefinite 

 expression, depending so much on ideas as to what is 

 pleasant). He was immediately changed : money 

 changed hands also, of COURSE. The new purchase 

 did not suit either ; was most civilly (I beg the 

 dealer's pardon for the term as applied to him) 

 well, then, most politely changed also, and the 

 difference in price as politely taken. This went on 

 till my friend, despairing of getting a riding-horse, 

 and wanting a match carriage-horse, took one, I 

 believe, this time without giving money, and he got a 

 fair useful ordinary carriage-horse. He told me 

 some time afterwards, that, on looking to his memo- 

 randa, he had given, first cost and differences of 

 exchange, an amount during the time that made this 

 carriage-horse stand him in a trifle over 600/., and 

 he is a man who strictly adheres to the truth. 

 " Champagne for ever ! " 



I have said that many men are really at a loss 

 where to find a horse if they want him. These are 



VOL. i. u 



