48 GEOOMS. 



his lower limbs in a pair of unmentionables of boundless 

 capacity, or who wears a long waistcoat, having huge pockets 

 of a salt-box form, is a groom. No such thing. A good groom, 

 and an adept in his caUing, is to be known by far other signs 

 than those of his mere outward environment. He ought to 

 possess a number of excellences. He should be quiet in his 

 manner, clean in his person, sparing with his tongue, steady at 

 his work, and methodical in the performance of it. He ought 

 to be kind to his horses, and to those associated with him. In 

 short, — a sober, steady man ; respectful to his master, honest 

 in the discharge of his multifarious duties, economical with his 

 means and appliances, and obliging to all. It is rare, however, 

 to meet with so perfect a specimen of the class ; and fortunate 

 indeed is the master, who may own a valuable stud of horses, 

 should he possess such a servant. It is easy to sketch the 

 moral outline of a model man : to procure him in flesh and 

 blood is the great difficulty. We meet with many objectionable 

 habits of a grave character ; the possession of which, in kind or 

 degree, may render the man more or less intolerable. The 

 besetting sin with many, otherwise excellent grooms, is love 

 of drink. With others, a bad temper and a brutal disposition. 

 Others are the self-deluded victims of an overweening estima- 

 tion of their own ability : such men are constantly dilating 

 upon their extensive knowledge of horses, and of their capability 

 as managers of them. In others, agaia, we observe a mani- 

 festation of cunning : they speak in a fawniog tone, and apply 

 assiduously the unctuous feather of flattery. Such fellows are 

 generally knaves, and are ever upon the watch to serve their 

 seMsh purposes. To cheat their master, and misrepresent 

 those who may oppose their nefarious tricks and designs, would 

 seem indeed, to be the main purpose of their existence. They 

 seek to rule the entire establishment. By artful means, and 



