avery's own farrier. 199 



hill, some of the harness gave way, and let the carriage 

 on the horse \\hich frightened him, and he began to kick 

 and run down the hill, when the man leaped from the 

 carriage, telling his better half to do the same. But this 

 happening in the fashionable days of crinoline, it was 

 not so convenient for the lady to do so in this way; so 

 she (while the horse was at the top of his speed), with 

 great presence of mind, and possessing the ability that 

 her husband lacked, composedly reached over and picked 

 up the reins that he in his fright had dropped, and in 

 woman's quiet manner, very soon succeeded in stopping 

 the frightened animal, and then as quietly stepped out of 

 the carriage and took the horse by the bit, and was 

 caressing him when the man came up to her assistance, 

 if such vou could call it. I have read somewhere that 



a/ 



a good wife was more precious than rubies, aud I think 

 she must be one of them. 



I am well aware of the fondness or reluctance of the 

 horse to leave buildings while they are on fire (which is 

 a kind of instinct), for you may drive or back a horse 

 up to a fire, and as it begins to burn him, he will draw 

 closer and closer to it until you can scarcely force him 

 away. Hence comes the great difficulty of removing 

 horses from the stable when the surroundinof buildino:s 

 are in a state of conflagration, whereby so many valu- 

 able horses have been lost. Notwithstanding all this, 

 the difficulty generally arises from the excitement that 

 prevails on such occasions, when you lose all control you 

 had over them. But if you would avoid this, approach 

 them at such times with no unusual degree of alarm or 

 excitement, and speak to them kindly, and, for instance, 



