THE OLD DOVEE EOAD. 



The sudden change from an isolated rural village in the- 

 Wiltshire downs, which was nine miles from any town, 

 and which could not even support a carrier, to a new home, 

 situate halfway between London and Dover, natm^ally 

 made no slight impression on the mind of a little boy, as I 

 was at the time of my removal, just half a century ago, and, 

 with your leave, good reader, I will set down a few memo- 

 randa. In busy times at least a hundred pubHc convey- 

 ances, including travelling carriages with post horses, would 

 pass our gate in a day ; and Sittingbourne and Eochester, 

 a few miles on either side of my home, being great posting 

 places, with ample hotel accommodation, I saw a great deal 

 of the pre-railway travelling in the olden tune. It was a 

 great treat to me to watch the rows of postboys sitting m 

 front of the principal inns, attiied in long white smock- 

 frocks, the yellow-white hat peculiar to their class, ready 

 booted and spurred, lazily smoking their pipes until sum- 

 moned. They sprang into action quickly enough at 

 the cry of " first and second turn out ! " and ran up the 

 inn-yard, and reappeared in their smart red jackets, striped 

 waistcoats, and white neckcloths ; and sometimes two, or 

 even three, carriages would arrive together, requiiing twelve 

 horses and six postboys, and I have seen the row of smock- 

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