366 Our Noblest Friend, The Horse 



ing the rough cleaning in the morning of stable and 

 horse, and feeding him the morning meal at least, all 

 other stable work being done by the owner, or one 

 of his boys. 



The " boy plan " is, after all, where the raw 

 juvenile material is to be had, by far the best; not 

 only on the score of general results, but because 

 it places the lad in line to assume larger responsi- 

 bilities, to develop his energy and stability of char- 

 acter, to bring to his realisation the fact that certain 

 duties must be performed at certain times, and that 

 personal pleasures must be made subservient to them, 

 and to advance practically his useful education in 

 the knowledge of the care of animals, etc., which 

 will be vastly useful to him in all his after life, be 

 his associations what they may. Every boy in the 

 family — and in every family — should take these 

 duties in turn; should be instructed in and held 

 responsible for* their first-class performance; and 

 should receive a salary or wage commensurate with 

 his ability, thus enabling him to become a money- 

 earner, and to learn not only the value in labour of 



