75 ANNALS OF THE ROAD. 



Northern breasts. In the village of Sutton-on-Trent 

 and its neighbourhood, the small farmers and cottagers 

 once a year, with a week's continuance, prepare their 

 homely offerings to the mail coachmen and guards, not 

 forgetting the passengers. The time is watched with 

 anxious care by the young girls of the families, or by 

 the old people if left alone in the world. Upon a tray 

 covered with a beautiful damask napkin are displayed 

 plum cakes, tartlets, gingerbread, exquisite home-made 

 bread and biscuits, ale, currant and gooseberry wines, 

 cherry-brandy, and, by some, spirits. These in old- 

 fashioned glass jugs embossed with figures have a most 

 pleasing effect. As to the contents, they are superlative. 

 Such ale ! such currant wine ! such cherry-brandy ! Oh ! 

 The coach was compelled to stop, and was surrounded 

 by half a dozen damsels, all enchanting young people, 

 neatly clad, rather shy, but courteously importunate ; at 

 the close, not in ill-humour, however, at the passing jokes 

 accompanying your thanks : eat and drink you must. I 

 tasted all. How could I resist the winning manners of 

 the rustics, with rosy cheeks and sparkling eyes ? My 

 poor stomach, not used to such luxuries and extraordi- 

 naries at eleven o'clock in the morning, was, however, 

 in fine agitation the remainder of the ride, fifty miles. 

 Neither time nor entreaties can prevent their solicita- 

 tions ; they are issued to reward the men for trifling 

 kindnesses occasionally granted. We lost ten minutes ; 

 they were soon recovered by one or two good spurts, 

 indeed a gallop was an agreeable finale. 



' It was my intention to have given the picture of 



