A CHAPTER OF ANECDOTES. 155 



is imperative, and in such matters a lofty drag, if not 

 quite so safe at a sharp turn, has a very grand and im- 

 posing appearance, and noble owners of such carriages 

 deserve to be looked up to.' 



Asking the well-known Mr. Barton of Canterbury, 

 who has ' taken off his bars,' after having been a mail 

 coachman on the Birmingham and afterwards on the 

 Dover Road, and who in his last years practised as a 

 veterinary surgeon, if he used not to find it precious cold 

 work sometimes driving between Canterbury and Dover, 

 especially over Barham Downs ; he replied that he 

 certainly did at times. He went on to say, 'they used to 

 send me as guards young fellows who had tried shop- 

 keeping or some such in-door work as a profession ; 

 anyhow, some of them were regular molly-coddles. I 

 remember driving over these very downs you speak of 

 one cold winter, and my guard was frequently coming 

 over the roof to me, and asking me if I didn't think it 

 very cold. Now I always knew how to keep out cold — ■ 

 (plenty of flannel next your skin, and all that), and this 

 young man did not ; and all the answer he ever got from 

 me was — " Cold? oh dear no !" Well, he was continually 

 bothering me about the same thing, until one day — and 

 it really was a tremendously cold day and no mistake, 

 and what is more I felt it — he came clambering over the 

 roof and said : " Now, Mr. Barton, this is real cold." I 

 said as usual, " Oh no, I don't feel it ! " though my eyes 

 were running down with cold at the time ; when he 

 replied, " Now, Mr. Barton, I know you are cold, for 

 your eyes are watering." "Watering?" I said, "why 



