212 DRIVING. 



her, on purpose to hear her narrate the great event of her life. 

 I often used to chaff her, and hear her repeat the history of 

 her memorable adventure. 



I will add a little anecdote of Bob Pointer, who was on 

 the Oxford road. Giving his ideas on coaching to a young 

 gentleman who was on the box with him, on his way to college, 

 he said : 



Soldiers and sailors may soon learn to fight ; lawyers and 

 parsons go to college, where they are crammed with all sorts of 

 nonsense that all the nobs have read and wrote since Adam of 

 course, very good if they like it but to be a coachman, sir, you 

 must go into the stable almost before you can run alone, and learn 

 the nature of horses and the difference between corn and chaff. 

 ' Well can I remember the first morning I went out with four 

 horses; I never slept a wink all night. I got a little flurried 

 coming out of the yard, and looking round on the envious chaps 

 who were watching me it was as bad as getting married at least, 

 I should think so, never having been in that predicament myself. 

 I have escaped that dilemna ; for (he concluded) when a man is 

 always going backwards and forwards between two points, what is 

 the use of a wife ? A coachman could never be much more than half 

 married. Now, if the law in the case of coachmen allowed two 

 wives, that would b3 quite another story, because he could then 

 have the tea-things set out at both ends of his journey. Driving, 

 sir, is very like life ; it's all so smooth when you start with the best 

 team, so well-behaved and handsome ; but get on a bit, and you 

 will find you have some hills to get up and down, with all sorts of 

 horses, as they used to give us over the middle ground. Another 

 things, sir, never let your horses know you are driving them, or, 

 like women, they may get restive. Don't pull and haul, and stick 

 your elbows a-kimbo ; keep your hands as though you were play- 

 ing the piano ; let every horse be at work, and don't get flurried ; 

 handle their mouths lightly ; do all this, and you might even drive 

 four young ladies without ever ruffling their feathers, or their 

 tempers. 



Shortly before the publication of this volume, in December 

 1888, the sudden and unexpected death of James W. Selby 

 shocked lovers of the road, to few of whom he was unknown ; 



