a little chap, and she were no much bigger,
she ses to me one day, when I were a bit scolded, she ses, "Never mind,
Jim," she ses, "cheer up; you'll be a man o' some sort some day;" and I
tell you, though I allus 'ad a hidea that way myself, when she said it I
grow'd a hinch straight off. If yer believes in yourself, Master 'Arry,
yer can do a lot, but if somebody else believes in yer there ain't
nothink in the whole world what yer can't do.

My particler business in the stable were Miss Dora's pony, Snowflake,
darling Dora's darling, as it got called o' times. She rode out a great
deal, did Miss Dora, and she rode well, and I generally 'ad to foller
'er on the bay cob. She'd spend a lot o' time about this yer stable, one
way and another, and we got to be werry partickler friends. Not as I
presum'd, mind yer, nor as she forgot 'er station; she were just a
hangel, she were, what couldn't be spoilt by nobody's company, and what
couldn't 'elp a-makin' o' other people wish as they were summut in the
hangel line, too.

But yer a-gettin' impatient I see, gents, and I ax yer pardon for
a-ramblin' a bit.

Well, it were Chris'mas time, as it might be now, and young Markham
(that were your father, Master 'Arry) he were 'ome from Oxford for 'is
'olidays, with as nice a young fellow as ever stepped, as 'ad come with
him to spend Chris'mas at the 'All. They called 'im the "Captain," not
that he were a harmy captain, or anythink of that, he were a captain of
summut at the college--maybe football or summut else. Somehow he often
came 'ome with young Markham at 'oliday times, and 'im and Miss Dora was
partickler friendly like.

It were not a werry snowy Chris'mas that year, though there were plenty
of frost, and the lake in the park would 'a' borne the London coach and
four without a crack. Young Markham and the Captain and Miss Dora did a
deal o' skatin', and ole Sir Markham invited a lot o' friends to come
and stay Chris'mas for the sake o' the sport. They did say as Aunt
Dorothy as Miss Dora were called arter 'ad been a-preachin' at 'im for
a-neglectin' o' Miss Dora and a-keepin 'er at the 'All without no
society, and I s'pose that's why Sir Markham were a-aggitatin' himself a
bit cos' we never 'ad no fuss at Chris'mas as a rule.

Well, we was werry busy at that time, I can tell yer; several of the
wisitors brought their own 'osses with them, and me and my father had
plenty to do a-lookin' arter 'em.

Among the wisitors as co