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O, PAUL PRESTON! we are glad to see you again. What have you for us now? Something new, no doubt. We have been practising the other exercises you were so kind as to show us, and feel our legs and arms so strong, that we fancy we may venture upon something else.

That's right; come along then and see my stud. Like the horse-dealers, but with more faith, I can warrant my nags perfectly safe and quiet, and fit for any timid lady or gentleman to ride; they never shy nor kick-no danger of their jibbing or rearing with you, nor of your throwing them down and breaking their knees; in fact they are sound in body and limb. Here they are, from a Shetland pony up to a tolerably sized galloway. What do you think of them?But I must explain. You see I have had them made of different sizes, to suit the little as well as the big boys and girls. What! do young ladies practise gymnastics as well as boys ?-Why should they not? I have seen some young ladies practise many of the exercises that you have been performing. Of course

not all of them-it would be neither requisite nor proper-but there are ladies now alive, who can bear witness to the great benefits they received in going through a course of the parallel bars and horizontal pole exercises, under the direction of a medical attendant, superintended by Professor Voelker. Nay, I know some young ladies who practised several of the exercises which I am about to show you on the wooden horse, and acquired thereby such agility and confidence that they ventured with perfect success to repeat them on their live pony, and are now reckoned most expert horsewomen.

To ride well has always been accounted a necessary accomplishment for a gentleman, and as it is a good maxtm ⚫ that what is worth doing at all is worth doing well,' I will endeavor to give such a notion of mounting, &c. as will enable you to stride a living steed with at least more confidence, and some little more grace, than if you had never attempted any thing of the kind.

You see these horses are made of one solid piece of wood, a portion of the trunk

SPORTS OF YOUTH.-HORSE EXERCISE.

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of a tree that does not taper is the best, perform many of the exercises on both made as you perceive quite smooth, and rounded at the ends. The middle, on the top, is covered with leather, about the length of an ordinary saddle, but not stuffed; the pommels are made of wood, curved at the top, screwed down, and covered likewise with leather. The whole is fixed on four stout legs, which go at least two feet into the ground, to keep them quite firm, and prevent them from rocking.

The pommels, as you see, are placed rather nearer one end, called the head, than the other, to imitate the saddle on the real horse. I should have told you to remark, that the hind pommel or cantle, as it is sometimes called, is rather higher than the front.

Having called your attention to the most prominent points in my steeds, I will only remark, that when mounted, you are not to sit bolt upright like a tailor, nor head foremost like a sailor, but easy as if you were in an arm-chair. The Cossacks, in one part of the world, and the Arabs in another, are perfect models of ease and grace when on horseback.

Before you begin the following exercises, observe the body and head are to be kept upright, and the knees and ankles straight, unless otherwise expressed, or when a change is absolutely necessary. In mounting it is customary to get up on the left, or near side as it is called, of the horse; though for the sake of practice, and bringing the muscles of both legs and arms into full play, you will have to VOL. IX. JULY, 1841.

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165. To horse! Mark me- place both hands on the middle of the pommels, thumbs inside, so as to grasp them firmly-slightly bend the knees, while the feet are close together, and endeavor to spring up so as to bring the arms quite straight and stiff, as on the parallel bars. Do this several times in succession, without resting on the horse, at first slowly, afterwards more quickly, and always come down on the toes.

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166. You must now learn to extend your legs gracefully and with ease. see a gentleman get on a horse clumsily, argues that he is either an awkward fellow, or has not been properly taught.— Well, spring up as I told you just now, at the same time throwing up the right leg horizontally, that it may be above the back of the horse. Observe me I keep my body perfectly upright, yet without appearing stiff, and the leg that hangs down is quite straight. Let this be done at least a dozen times. See next exercise.

167 Now just try the same experiment with your left leg. To be sure, you will not want to throw your left leg over the horse's head in mounting; but it may so happen, from some cause or

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be done often, till you can do it easily. Don't forget, that in all these exercises, the arms are to be quite straight and stiff.

170. In order to give a little pliabili ty to your knees, let me see you spring up neatly, as I showed you in the very first exercise-then, as you come to the ground, form a sort of ace of diamonds, by crossing your legs and bending your knees-so.

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171. To strengthen the arms still more, and create a variety of action, suppose you spring up as before-arms straight, and resting your thighs against the sides of the horse-now spring away from it, and come back again several times, without touching the ground.—

GYMNASTICS: OR SPORTS FOR YOUTH.

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This is a useful exercise, as it will prepare you for the living horse, that should he start while you are mounting, and before you are well in the saddle, you may have such command over your body and arms, as will prevent you from being thrown to the ground.

172. Having now acquired a facility of raising the leg with ease and grace, and springing up to the saddle, let us try, boys, how you can place yourselves in it. You are not to scramble up as if you were getting over a fence full of spikes; but you are to place your hands on the pommels, thumbs inside, spring up, and remain for a moment with thighs against the side of the horse, as you see me.

Now throw the right leg over the back pommel, lifting of course the right hand to let the leg pass, and seat yourself in

the saddle.

173. I told you when I began, that I should sometimes require some of the exercises to be performed on both sides. of the horse, and gave you my reasonsso therefore, without farther preface, be so kind as to go through the 172d exercise, on the off or right side of the horse. Remember, you are now to spring up as before-remain a moment suspended, with arms straight-throw the left leg over the back pommel, and seat yourself as before. In dismounting you are to place the right hand on the pommel, the left on the saddle, and throw the left leg off the saddle, and come down on the

toes.

To dismount gracefully requires as much care and attention as to mount; but, with a little practice is easily accomplished thus. Place your left hand on the front pommel, thumb inside-put your right hand on the saddle in front of you, and spring off easily, and come on the toes.

TO PARENTS.

The utility of gymnastic exercises consists in strengthening and invigorating the human frame. This is to be done, or is best done in youth. They cannot well be indulged in at any other period of life, nor put off till the bones become hard and rigid.

Every kind of exercise in the open air is useful to the youngster, but gymnastics in an especial manner, because these bestow power and tension to those parts of the frame, which common employments and amusements do not reach. The young farmer is a gymnast from the

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Cowper's Summer House at Olney.

WHO can read Cowper's letter to his friend Hill, descriptive of his summerhouse, without wishing to walk into it?

"I write in a nook that I call my boudoir; it is a summer-house not bigger than a sedan-chair; the door of it opens

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