A master's eye necessary. 121 



from an ordinary man? Common sense must say, 

 No ; and then common sense must tell us what results 

 we may expect : what they are we have lately had 

 proofs enough of. I think my barrel of gunpowder 

 has been sat upon, and some pretty blows-up we have 

 had. How then are these explosions to be prevented ? 

 This is a poser I allow; but put the question in a 

 modified way, and ask how is the chance of so 

 frequent a recurrence of them to be effected? " Keep 

 a constant and watchful eye on the barrel yourself^ or 

 employ some one who will." Who is this some one 

 to be ? A man of tried honour, a man personally 

 attached as a friend, and to render " assurance doubly 

 sure," make it his interest to watch yours as his own. 

 No other man will do it. It is not the hirins: i^ood 

 attendants, and leaving children to their care, that 

 will ensure their well doing : it is the careful and 

 anxious eye of the mother that is wanted to watch 

 their daily progress, and afford those thousand-and- 

 one little cares that only a parent will attend to : so 

 it is nothing but a master's eye in himself, or in a 

 second self\ that will anxiously watch every change 

 in race-horses, make himself master of their different 

 qualities, and study where to place them to the 

 greatest advantage to their owner in their running. 



It may not be necessary for a lady to dress her 

 child, but she ought to be able to do so : it may not 

 be necessary for an owner to put on bandages or 

 sweaters, but I can only say that if I did not know 

 how to do both properly, I would never pretend to 

 give an opinion in a racing stable, nor should I 

 expect to be attended to if I did. The master or the 

 master's representative should know such things if he 

 means to be attended to : he may leave as much as 



