C6 TALES AND TRAITS OF SPORTING LIFE, 



d'Espag;ne. The picture was exhibited in the Royal Aca- 

 deni}^, where, as we well remember, it attracted much 

 attention from all classes of visitors. 



" A Family Picture" for John Day woidd have re- 

 quired a much fuller canvas to have done him thorough 

 justice. He had in all, we believe, twelve children b}' 

 his first wife, but none by the second. These included 

 quite another generation of jockeys. There was " Young 

 John/' a powerful, resolute horseman in his time, who- 

 rode in the Grand Steeple Chase over the Vale of Ayles- 

 bury, and whose courage and coolness tackled so'^ success- 

 fully with Grey Momus, a very violent, hard-pulling brute, 

 in the days of his hot youth. Then comes poor Sam, a 

 bo}^ blessed far beyond his fellows with that inestimable 

 virtue called patience. William Day was never quite 

 meant for a jockey, and it is commonly a joke against him 

 whenever he puts himself up ° but he has amply proved 

 his talent as a trainer. The flower of the flock, however, 

 as a horseman, is or was the all-accomplished Alfred, who 

 unites in a smgularly happy degree the graces and the 

 uses of his art. Another brother, Henry, is in the law ; 

 Edward was manager of the Warfield Paddock; while 

 one of the daughters is married to William Sadler, and 

 another to Mr. Dixon, who at one period held rather a 

 prominent position on the Turf. 



Pew men led so generally a steady life as the late John 

 Day. He went to church regularly twice every Sunday, 

 and was somewhat demonstratively devotional in bis^ 

 habits. He was fire-proof against the many temptations 

 of the race-course, the winning money, and the good com- 

 pany ; but he liked his joke eitliei' with or against him ; 

 and BelVs Life has told all the world over how his horse 

 cried '^ per-quavi, " and how the civil gentleman who lost 



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