The Merry Past 



Though these wages may appear to have been very- 

 modest, some coachmen on first-class coaches made a 

 very comfortable livelihood — say, from two to four 

 hundred pounds a year. Those who drove into, and 

 out of, London were allowed the privilege of not 

 entering on the way-bill the passengers they might 

 take up on the first stage off the stones. These they 

 call their " short shillings." 



A regular phraseology of coaching was used by 

 those connected with the road. An empty coach was 

 called the mad woman ; asking the passengers for 

 money, kicking them ; a passenger not on the bill, a 

 shoulder-stick, a bit of fish, or a short one ; a passenger 

 who paid shabbily, a scaly one ; not paying at all, 

 tipping the double ; a glass of neat spirits, a flash of 

 lightning, a drop of short, or " don't stop to mix it " ; 

 greatcoats, benjamins, or upper benjamins ; putting 

 on greatcoats and shawls, dressing ; a white hat, a lilly 

 shallow ; good clothes, a good bit of broadcloth, or 

 neatish toggery ; a kicker, a miller ; galloping horses, 

 springing them ; driving near to anything, feather- 

 edging it. 



" Shouldering," as it was called, was merely a mild 

 form of robbery, and consisted in not including a 

 passenger on the bill, by which omission the money 

 paid by him went into the driver's pocket. 



There were other terms for this : '' You have no 

 luggage, I believe, sir ? " said coachee to a passenger, 

 after having brought him about fifty miles. " I have 

 none," said he. '' Then if you please you shall get 

 down at the turnpike, as I mean to swallow you." 



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