In order to criticise any vehicle impartially, it is necessary to know and understand the uses for which
necessary
it is intended. The light country station wagon is as
much out of place in ouh city streets as the landau
would be if' used on some of our sandy country roads.
The excessive weight of English carriages is a sub
ject of comment, and perhaps somewhat justly so in
many cases. There is an old saying that "in order
to drive handsomely one must drive heavily," and this
is pretty generally borne out, provided the word hand
somely is properly applied. A young girl in a simple
muslin gown may be very prettily and attractively
dressed, oftentimes more so than her sister whose
gown is a handsome and expensive production from
the hands of the celebrated Worth ; but while one
sister is prepared to attend a formal function, the other
is on the way to a small lawn party. Each is there
fore appropriately dressed. The handsome gown would
look out of place where the pretty one is suitable, and
nice zeer sa.
The light trotting wagon of purely American origin bears somewhat the same relation to the victoria, for example, as did the sisters' gowns to one another. Each is suited to the purpose for which it is designed the handsome victoria to the formal drive or call, and the pretty and ath'aetiz'e trotting wagon to a delightful spin on a good boulevard or country road.
