HOME TALK.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume IX, Issue 446, 14 January 1867, Page 3

HOME TALK.

(Trcsa th* Bo&s Tfews, 26th October.) Tho Temple, 20il> Oct, The obituary for the month does not rsntsin snj great rains* but it holds two names which hare been beam ox lu dim* places. One is that of Mr Rarey the American, who came over to instruct us in the art of taming and managing horses without brutality, I had the honor of being admitted to his lectures, at a time when they were very costly, and when you were made to promise that you would not reveal the secret of his treatment. This treatment I saw practised upon that fiend in horsey form. Cruiser, and upon several wild beasts of the same character. Mr Rarey was no quack, and no person could fail to agree with him in much that he

urged in favor of the poor horse. This, one of the most inquiring, sensitive, and iu one sense delicate of creatures, we hand over for instruction to the coarsest and roughest brutes who bear the name of man, and who terrify, beat and brutalise him into demoralisation. Mr Rarey, used first to preach the lesson of kindness and patience in a way that commanded the regard of ua all. Rut then he proceeded to deal with the untaught, or the demoralised horse. He allowed, of course, that it was necessary to make the animal understand, once for all, that man was his superior, and that ha must obey. The mods of making this known to him was then exhibited. Tha wild horse was turned into the circus, and faced his tutor. The latter aproached him gently, and when he turned away, followed him up. The horse kept off, and was either angry or distrustful ; Mr Rarey’s perseverance rendered it a matter of small consequence which. At length the late and active American closed, as it were, with the horse, and after a brief struggle the latterfound that he had three legs only, the fourth, usually the off fore leg, being secured by a strong strap which kept it in a bent position, painless, but crippling. Then the horse flew into a rage, and ran here and there, Mr Rarey keeping at his mane, and even stimulating his exertions. After a time the unnatural attitude, and the consciousness of being in the hands of a powerful agency, were to much for tho animal, he foamed, struggled a littied more, and fell on his side, on the tan of the circus then Rarey let him recover himself a little, patted and soothed him or if ho desired another in order to convince himself that he was beaten be wa° allowed to have it. But he usually succumbed with tha first encounter. It was strange to see how soon tha animal gave way. He ceased to resent to Mr Rarey’s touches, and allowed himself to bo caressed. After a time tho strap was removed but the regaining liberty did not bring back ferocity, and he rose, accompanied Mr Rarey about the place, and took food from his band. The lesson had to be repeated perhaps several times, but in the end tbo horse-tamer was always conqueror. The grand proof was in that beast Cruiser, who was the nearest approach I ever heard of to the man-eating horse kept by certain Indian princes. The creature was as savage as a tiger, and ho was utterly rough and dirty, because ho would not allow him;elf to groomed, and bo was marked all over with blows he had received from vengeful grooms. When I first saw him, he had been conquered, Mr Rarey’s devices for getting at him without being murdered having been very bold and clever, but he was in a sad state. When I last saw him, he had been groomed, and his good coat shone, and altogether ho was a new beast, “ eating, clothed, and in bis right mind.’’ There could be no deception here, and I had a private letter from tho nobleman who owned Cruiser, assuring me of the genuineness of tho conquest. Mr Rarey, (a very modest, resolute, unassuming man) taught a good many people his art, but ho did better by teaching them to think for themselves about tho horse, and I daresay many a hasty hand has been stayed by the recollection of what was heard. But, of course, tho majority of horses are still ill-treated by the brutes who teach and drive them, and all one can do is to shut one’s eyes to daily sights, and hope that compensation will be made elsewhere, both to the horse and to the man.

The other demise is that of tho cleverest conjuror London has seen in my time, the American artist who called himself “Col.” Stodare. He effected the difficult trick of keeping this fastidious and blase population talking about him for a whole season, and his sphinx trick, though simple enough when explained, was a singularly good juggle. Tiierefore let his premature death bo recorded. He leaves a brother, who states himself to be asclever as the ‘Colonel ’ and with whom the latter for some months maintained what appeared to be a fratricidal war of hostile advertisements, but it may only have been an ingenious means of keeping the name before the public. On Holbom-bili there used to be two shoemakers, on opposite sides, and they abused one another hideously for years, and obtained much notoriety. The quarrel was uiSuc up, and they became partners, but they knew better than to discontinue tho abuse which made them talked about, and used to sit together arranging the placards in which each denounced the other as the worst person whom Providence ever perniiixeix to iii c. X behevs they were both Tsry honest fello^Ss

I bare little to add. Weber, toe composer, is being much burlesqued just now st the theatres, but ha has arenged himself, or Zamiel has avenged him in one of them’ ths Standard, which was burned ta the ground on Sunday last, after n performance, over night, of a parodied Der Freischnii , but .London has had a theatre in Hoiborn added to her list, so that we keep up the

number. An illusion on the suujV.*; of tho Deal boatmen is in course ef being cleared up. We sre always hearing sentimental stories of these “gallant fellows ' uud their chivalry. We are in the way of Doing convinced that thoughfrom constant intercourse with the sea they-learn to bravo its perils, and that they delight iu the wrecks that bring them plunder. Bo goes another trauxixoa.