268 THE COACHING AGE. 



to tell the old dame of her blunder, and get her to 

 hand down the genuine articles. 



When the story became bruited about, which of 

 course was very soon, the old people got considerably 

 joked about it, and being probably unable to face the 

 guard or coachman again, she afterwards always left 

 it to her husband to exchange the bags. 



That process did not take the guard long when 

 they were handed down correctly, and he was soon 

 up and off again, but occasionally an observation 

 would be addressed to the village post-office official, 

 which, if not sufficiently uncomplimentary to disturb 

 the night's rest of that individual, would sometimes 

 draw forth a reply not expressive of the most tranquil 

 frame of mind. I should imagine that getting out of 

 bed in the middle of the night, being previously 

 startled in your sleep by the sound of the horn, was 

 not even in the height of summer particularly 

 pleasant, or calculated to put one in a good humour, 

 or in a mood to stand any chaff from passengers on 

 the mail. 



The mistake made by the postmaster's wife shows 

 how difficulties sometimes arose in distinguishing one 

 thing from another while travelling on a dark night. 

 The same difficulties would appear to exist also with 

 respect to distinguishing places under the same aspect, 

 as appears from a conversation between two young 



