In the Riding-School; Chats with Esmeralda

l into lin

and

nys

normal celerity and severity, but never a word of joking, and never a cry for deft-fingered Kitty's assistance, and then, little by little, even these noises die away, and the palace of the Sleeping Beauty could not be more quiet. No girl stirs from her lurking-place, until our yourself issue from your pet corner, and then

s, and the file of nine begins its journey along the wall, attended as before, the society young lady taking great pains about distance, and really doing very well, but the beauty sitting with calm negligence which

dle, not slanting outward or backward. When you use it, do it without relaxing your hold upon the reins, for if, by any mischance, your horse should start quickly, you will need it. Forward, ladies, forward! don't stop

y your right hand a little nearer to your left without bending your wrist, so that your re

mined to go to the

make the reins precisely even. Now, lay the right rein on his neck, use your whip, and touch him with yo

alda, forward!" crie

our distance as carefully when the rifer immediately before you is wrong as when she is right. It is the necessity of doing that, of hav

tartled, and made unruly and ungraceful. He has nerves as well as you. Now, prepare to trot! Trot! Shorten your reins, Miss Beauty! Shorten them!" and during the next minute or two, while the class trots about a third of a mile, the poor beauty hears every command in the manual addressed to her, and smilingl

n the centre of the ring with as much dignity as is possible, considering that her horse, not having been properly stopped, and feeling the nervous movements of her hands, mov

u are not comfortable?" demands the teacher, riding up beside

e," she responds in a tone which should be felt

more than two, on horseback," he says; "when

ill dismount

ddle, courteously bids her be seated in the reception room and watch the others, and she finds her little demonstration completely and effectually crushed, and, wh

straight! To the right again! Turn!" and back on the track, on the other side of the school, the lead

s' heads should be in line with one another, and then when you arrive at the track and turn to the right again, your dist

promising pupil of the class is sitting in her chair at that moment; but she says nothing of the kind, contenting her

e so vehemently addressed," she says, with th

beg, to be gentle, he may make his voice soft, but to speak with energy in a low tone is to strain the vocal cords and to injure the lungs permanently. The opera singer finds to sing piano, pianissimo more wearisome than to make herself heard above a Wagner orchestra. The orator, with everybody still and listening with countenance intent, dares not speak softly, except now and then for contr

ng the volunteer soldiery, the energetic rill master of one day being transformed into a voiceless pantomimist by the next, but, like Juliet when she spoke, she says nothing, and now the

tion of the movement is demanded, and is received with cries of "This is not good, ladie

d the manoeuvre, they perceive that their teacher not only aimed at having them learn how to turn to the left at each corner, but also at giving himself an opportunity to make remarks about their feet and the position thereof, and at the end of five minutes each girl feels as if she were a centipede, and you, Esmeralda, secretly wonder w

creeping through the narrow channel, she must have a strong, sure hand at the helm, and when she is coming up to her wharf, easy, easy, she must swing in a wide circle. That is why my word to you is always 'Forward! Forward!' and again, 'Forward!' There is a scientific reason underlying this, if you care to know it. When you go fast, neither you nor the horse has t

t cruel to make a poor horse go just as fast as it can," to which he replies that the horse will desire to go quite as long as s

she begins. "Your feet do seem posi

the teacher; "only that they looked too big, big

e continues to Versatilia: "and your crimp

with a safety pin," retorts the bea

h things, of course. But, do you know, I heard of a lady who wore a switch into a riding-school ring on

at she has determined to say, she declines to retain unsaid, and so

cement that she is not coming any more. "Well, I wouldn't," the wise fairy says, looking thoughtfully at her. "You make the others unhappy, and that is not desirable, and you will not be taught. I gave you fair

ot learn! And Emile Giardin! They had so many things to think about! Now, perhaps it is so with this young lady. Society demands so much, one must do so many things, that she cannot bend her mind to this one little art. It is unfortunate, but then she is not the first!" And with a little salute he turns away, and the society

d, and not to be practised in public, but the exercise enables you to perceive for yourself when you are stiff about the shoulders and waist. Now drop your head backward, and swing the body, not trying to control the head, and persist until you can thoroughly relax the muscles of the neck, a work which you need not expect to accomplish until after you have made many efforts. Now execute all your movements for strengthening the muscles, very slowly and lightly, using as little force as possible. After you can do this fairly well, begin by executing them quickly and forcibly, then gradually retard them, and make them more gently