CHAPTERXXV
StableHartshorn—HowtoManageaHorseonaJourney—YourBestFriend。
OFonethingIamcertain，thatthereadermustbemuchdelightedwiththewholesomesmellofthestable，withwhichmanyofthesepagesareredolent；whatacontrasttothesicklyodoursexhaledfromthoseofsomeofmycontemporaries，especiallyofthosewhopretendtobeofthehighlyfashionableclass，andwhotreatofreception—rooms，wellmaytheybestyledso，inwhichdukes，duchesses，earls，countesses，archbishops，bishops，mayors，mayoresses—notforgettingthewritersthemselves，bothmaleandfemale—
congregateandpressupononeanother；howcheering，howrefreshing，afterhavingbeennearlyknockeddownwithsuchanatmosphere，tocomeincontactwithgenuinestablehartshorn。Oh！thereadershallhaveyetmoreofthestable，andofthatoldostler，forwhichheorshewilldoubtlessexclaim，\"Muchobliged！\"—and，lestIshouldforgettoperformmypromise，thereadershallhaveitnow。
Ishallneverforgetanharanguefromthemouthoftheoldman，whichIlistenedtoonewarmeveningasheandIsatonthethresholdofthestable，afterhavingattendedtosomeofthewantsofabatchofcoach—horses。Itrelatedtothemannerinwhichagentlemanshouldtakecareofhishorseandself，whilstengagedinajourneyonhorseback，andwasaddressedtomyself，onthesuppositionofmyonedaycomingtoanestate，andofcoursebecomingagentleman。