200 



COACHING DAYS AND COACHING WAYS 



like Curran's Irishman endeavouring to catch the 

 English accent." This satiric touch is surely not un- 

 worthy of a coaching Swift — but to continue to the bitter 

 end. " South of York," writes Viator, " I have not 

 often seen this man's fellow ; but surely Providence 

 must keep a most especial guard over him ; for I 

 understand he has worked some years on the same 

 coach without an accident. And judging from ap- 



V 



m ^^^M^'^^^m fe:'^S^& - *'' y "'/ 



A. 



■..■; 





Fresh Teams. 



pearances it is a daily miracle that he gets to his 

 journey's end." 



A personal experience gave shortly afterwards to this 

 all-seeing eye another example of incompetence in 

 Brighton coachmen. He mounted on a coach driven 

 by one who, had he measured tape behind a linen- 

 draper's counter, would in Viator's opinion, have more 

 nearly fulfilled the purpose for which Providence had 

 designed him. Instead of measuring tape however, 

 unfortunately he held the ribbons — also a cigar — horresco 



