Frost- Bound still. 203 



in the grey dawn of the morning. Then see the 

 lover, pale with care, forbidden by a stern parent 

 to plead love's yonng dream to the object of his 

 devotion. What did he do? Why hired four of 

 those well-known greys, with postboys in their bhie 

 jackets, white cords, top boots, and water-brushed 

 hats, placed them at the corner of the lane, "when 

 the clock struck nine," and bore off, literally in post 

 haste, the blushing fair one to Gretna Green. Such 

 was the way in which little difficulties of this class 

 were overcome in the good old times. 



Now-a-days railways have almost done away with 

 post horses; save and except at Newman's, you 

 rarely find a genuine animal of this description. 

 Fancy running away with a lovely girl by rail, and, 

 after partaking of a piece of pork pie, a glass of pale 

 ale, or a basin of scalding nondescript soup at the 

 terminus, putting her into a one-horse fly, and taking 

 her before a registrar to complete a civil contract. 



But these are prosaic times truly ; there is no 

 romance now-a-days, no knight-errantry, no belief in 

 ancient customs, or faith in local traditions. The 

 old original blacksmith of Gretna Green has retired 

 from business, bankrupt, I believe, a victim to cir- 

 cumstances and the march of intellect. Then — I am 

 speaking of years since — any young lady whom you 

 proposed to transport to the orthodox place for the 

 registration of your solemn vows, would have held 

 your affections in very light esteem, if you did not 

 provide the customary greys, that is to say, if she 

 was a girl of any spirit at all. Yet Newman's best 

 selected nags, and most civil and sober of " Boys," did 

 not always conduct the fond pair to permanent bliss, 



