230 THE COACHING AGE. 



exaggerated, and that such animals never could have 

 existed in fact. 



Occasionally there might be an opportunity of 

 somewhat diversifying the monotonous work of the 

 coachmen and guards who travelled night after night 

 for a great part of the year in the dark, especially 

 with the mails, which were supposed to stop only for 

 the time set out in the Post- Office time-bills — and 

 except where they might be obliged to wait a few 

 minutes for Post-Office business, it was change, up 

 and off again. Coming up on Saturday night from 

 the country, arriving at the General Post Office in 

 London on Sunday morning, when there was no 

 delivery of letters, the mails were not bound strictly 

 to the time, as there was no object in having the 

 letter-bags arrive at the Post Office punctually ; hence 

 it might happen that a mail or two fell in with some 

 of the coaches, when of course it was considered in- 

 dispensable that the officials should have something 

 at one of the little roadside public-houses, which 

 were kept open all night, or opened very early in the 

 morning, for the particular coaches which either 

 changed or just pulled up there. 



By way of a little diversion one night, a mail on 

 the up journey on the North road changed at the 

 inn kept by one of the proprietors, who slept in a 

 room facing the street, and nearly over the entrance 



