George. The horses in London often suffer fearfully for want of water, particularly the night cab horses. A well-known writer states:-"Whilst the majority of the inhabitants of London are snugly asleep in their beds, there are hundreds of cabmen on the stand the long night through.' These night-men,' with their poor horses, have a peculiar trying life. On conversing with several of them, we have found one of their greatest-felt hardships to be, that they can get no water for their poor horses (as most of the water-stands are locked up during the night)! Many of them actually carry about with them at night a bucket, and have to beg at any open public-house for a drop of water for the poor horses.' We hope that this matter will be looked into by those in authority." It is the more needful that ample provision should be made for the "night horses," in consequence of the painful fact that many of the

job masters send out their worst horses when the darkness of the night prevents the policeman detecting the wounds and sores on the poor animals.

Freddy. That is abominable. I would have such men publicly flogged.

Papa. Mr. Alexander Fidler, of Aberdeen, has set a right example by erecting, on the Quay, a drinking-fountain, with not only a trough for horses and dogs, but also wash-hand basins

for the carters. The water is constantly flowing through the wash-hand basins, so that they are self-cleansing. So highly is

this monument of "practical benevolence" valued by the Aberdeen carters, that they have purchased a valuable gold watch, and begged Mr. Fidler to accept it as a token of the gratitude they feel for the blessings he has conferred upon "man and beast."

Charlotte. If everybody would act like the kind-hearted boy of whom I heard lately from a gentleman, how much suffering would be prevented. The gentleman said:"One day last summer, I was passing down Walbrook, close by the London

Mansion House, when I saw a waggon, with horses, waiting opposite the gate of Messrs. Maclure, Macdonald, and Maegregor, the well-known lithographers. The poor horses were panting from heat and thirst, but there was no water-trough near at which they could get a draught. It was the dinner-hour of the workpeople, and a number of the printers' boys, in their shirt sleeves, were playing about. One of these, a bright-eyed lad, caught sight of the poor horses, and cried out, 'I'll bring you some water.' Off he ran, and in a few minutes reappeared with a pail, and a good supply of Nature's refreshing beverage. It was a pretty sight to see the lad, and pleasant to hear the words of kindness he addressed to the horses whilst drinking. I could not help saying, 'God bless the kind-hearted boy,'-may he never know the want of a friend."

Freddy. Do you not think it would be an excellent plan, papa, if the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to

Animals were to give medals or certificates of merit to those who are noted for their kindness to animals?

Charlotte. A writer in the British Workman' states :-" On passing the Great Northern Railway Company's Coal Depôt, in Holloway, not long ago, I saw a man vainly endeavouring, by means of a whip, to make one of the horses go in a particular direction. A little strong-built man with a black cap made his appearance at the stable door, and whilst evidently annoyed at the

rough treatment the animal was receiving, called out in loud but gentle tones, 'Come here, my fine fellow, Hard-up.' Hard-up, for that was the name of the horse, immediately turned in the direction of the friendly voice, and went like a little child to the kind-hearted stable man, and after receiving a few pats on the neck, and a few handfuls of oats, he quietly performed the duty assigned to him. I was delighted to hear from the lips of this worthy horse-keeper, 'If you cannot manage a horse, sir, by kindness, you cannot manage him at all. I don't care how vicious a horse is; I think that I can bring him to by kind treatment. Horses do a deal for our comfort, and it's hard that they should be cruelly used.' Oh that all who have the charge of horses were influenced by sentiments like these! How much suffering-how many blows and oaths would then be avoided! If the Society would help the cause of humanity by giving prizes to those men who can best manage their horses with kind words, instead of whips and kicks, then James Cornwall, the horse-keeper at the Holloway Coal Depôt, would have a fair chance of being one of the successful competitors."

Papa. I am glad to tell you that this subject has recently been under the consideration of the committee. A gentleman having sent a donation of £5 to the Society as the commencement of a special fund for this excellent object, the committee will, I hope, be able to devise some plan for carrying out the scheme. The Paris society distributes prizes, and I believe that the plan is productive of much good.

Mary. I have often thought that whilst the Society punishes the cruel, it should not overlook doing honour to the kind.

Charlotte. It would doubtless assist many deserving men on in life, if they could produce certificates of honour, showing that they

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are skilful in managing horses by kindness. Gentlemen would be glad to engage such persons in their service, even at higher wages than usual.

Freddy. There is one thing we ought not to forget whilst speaking about horses, and that is the objectionable bearing-rein. It seems to me that a great mistake is made by those who fetter their horses with bearing-reins.

Papa. No doubt, my boy, you are right. I am glad to tell you that the London omnibus and cab proprietors have wisely abandoned the use of this rein. You now rarely ever see a horse with bearing-rein in either cab or omnibus in London. The result is most gratifying. Ever since the disuse of this senseless appendage of the harness-maker, the number of poor horses with broken knees has gradually lessened in the streets of the metropolis. An intelligent and humane Suffolk farmer writes-"All experienced horse drivers will admit that reining heavy draught horses up tightly, impedes their progress, and also that the throat strap being too tight is very injurious; the consequence resulting from the constant habit of wearing the throat-band tight, is chronic enlargement of the parotid and sub-maxillary glands. The injurious effects of tight reining is chronic tetanic, or rheumatic spasms of the muscles of the neck, which incapacitate the animal from feeding off the ground; it also causes ossific union or anchylose joints of the cervical vertebræ of the neck, and that formidable disease known by the name of poll evil. How necessary then it is that horse drivers should be more careful than they generally are; the thing may not be done with the intention of treating their horses cruelly, but more with the idea of making them look proud and stately. In proof of this, the writer can state from experience that, when going by night to town with agricultural produce, the