theories of progress, with anything but
satisfaction. A few years ago—the age for such
work— I would have undertaken a four-mile
steeplechase with infinitely more satisfaction.
However, the day came, the "judges were
ranged all a terrible sow," and I had no
help for it but to put a good face on the
matter and to rejoice inwardly that I had not
caught the complaint of the county and
indulged in after-dinner boasts of my sporting
and horse-taming feats. So I pulled off my
jacket, turned up my trousers, and walked
into the arena. This ought to have been
covered in; fortunately, considering the
wildness of my subjects, it was surrounded
on three sides by cattle-sheds, and the floor
was a foot deep in dung and rotten straw;
on the fourth side were rails and a gate,
along which the spectators were ranged,
anxious and incredulous.

My first patient was a three-year old
chesnut colt, nearly thorough-bred, and
between thirteen and fourteen hands high. It
had been haltered, but never handled. Before
I began, I shut my eyes for a few minutes, and
endeavoured to recal the exact manner in which
Rarey walked, moved, and acted, in order to
give as close an imitation of his proceedings as
possible. Having called for silence, I
proceeded to approach the animal very slowly
and steadily. It was not so wild as some
of its companions; but had a decided
objection to being touched. I succeeded, with
less difficulty than might have been expected,
in putting a bridle on it. To get in a position
to persuade it to let me take up his leg
was a work of some time; but, by careful
imitation of the master horse-trainer, I
succeeded, and strapped up the near foreleg
quite tight. I then gave my colt time to
look round him for a few minutes, and then
began to lead him about in half-circles.
This was difficult for me to do, because the
space was too confined: it was also difficult
for him, because the floor was soft and deep.
As he was good-tempered, and was powerless
on three legs, I had no difficulty in strapping a
leather band round his body; then, after two
attempts, had the strap number two securely
looped round his off fore-leg. In three minutes
I had him on his knees. From his knees he
leaped wildly and desperately several times;
but did not make anything like the fight of a
trained hunter full of corn. If the floor had
been less deep he would, no doubt, have fought
longer. He sank sooner than I expected; but
not before my wind had been taxed, and I lost
no time in tying his other leg up to the girth.

I then proceeded to " gentle " him. This
process resembles the passes which
mesmerisers employ; only that the limbs are
actually smoothed down continuously. I
next unloosed him, and made him rise,
and repeated the operation of lying him
down. While down I mounted him, laid upon
him, and put a saddle on him. Then, untying
the straps, repeated the gentling; and, on his
rising, he allowed a saddle to be girthed upon
him without any resistance. Within three-
quarters of an hour from my first laying him
down, my incredulous squire mounted him,
and I led him first several times round the
yard, and then twice round a ten-acre field,
the squire repeating to himself all the while,
"This is amazing! This is ten times more
than I expected!" On returning to the
yard, I gave a sort of lecture on the new system
to the grooms and farm servants present;
particularly impressing on them the necessity
of gentle movements and gentle words in
dealing with colts, for I found extreme
difficulty in inducing them to be quiet and gentle
while assisting to take off the straps.

My second patient, a yearling brother to
the other, which had never been handled or
haltered before, was wild as a stag, and could
with difficulty be held by three men. After
twice pulling him down and gentling, he lost
all fear, and followed me as I walked round
the yard, nibbling at my coat like an old pet
pony. He was too young to be mounted, but I
handled and lifted up all his legs, so that I
could have shod him. I believe all present
agreed from that moment to abandon the
rough-rider system.

The next day this yearling colt, which had
been turned loose in a large field, came, and
srnelt and made friends with the squire to
his great astonishment, for he has been
accustomed to see his colts, after receiving a
lesson from the rough-rider, fly with fear and
anger from the approach of man.

In my opinion the difficulties in future
will not be found in training horses but in
training men, and inducing them to abandon
their habits of rough language and brute
force.

MR. CHARLES DICKENS'S

READINGS.

MR. CHARLES DICKENS will read at BRADFORD on the
14th of October; at LIVERPOOL on the 15th; at
MANCHESTER on the 16th; at BIRMINGHAM on the 18th, 19th,
and 20th; at NOTTINGHAM on the 21st; at DERBY on
the 22nd; at MANCHESTER on the 23rd; at YORK on the
25th; at HULL on the 26th and 27th; at LEEDS on the.
28th; and at SHEFFIELD on the 29th of October.

Now ready, price Five Shillings and Sixpence,
bound in cloth,

THE SEVENTEENTH VOLUME
OF
HOUSEHOLD WORDS.

Containing the Numbers issued between the Nineteenth
of December last year, and the Twelfth of June in
the present year.

This and the preceding volumes may be had of all
Booksellers.