GUARDS AND THEIR FEES. 399 



about six weeks, during which time there was a 

 christening, both coachman and guard getting leave 

 off for a journey in order to attend in the capacity 

 of sponsors, one of the names of the latter being 

 chosen as the Christian name of the little A. 

 Besides the festivities usual upon such occasions, 

 both coachman and guard received very handsome 

 presents, and did much better by being a day off the 

 coach than on it. The landlord of Deptford Inn alsO' 

 derived considerable benefit from the occurrence. 



This same guard, as was usual at Christmas-time, 

 had his coach loaded with oyster-barrels — common 

 presents at that period, when oysters had not reached 

 the present exorbitant price. Among the recipients 

 was a gentleman in a wholesale way of business near 

 Exeter, who was a constant passenger by the coach, 

 and knew the guard well. Oyster-barrels seemed 

 to have been showered down upon this gentleman 

 by his friends and customers in London to such an 

 extent, that in the course of two or three journeys 

 the guard had taken down over two dozen, when it 

 occurred to him that there must be more than the 

 gentleman could possibly want, and that therefore 

 he might as well have a couple of barrels for himself ; 

 so he took them home, much to the surprise of his 

 wife, who thought he had been guilty of a bit of 

 extravagance. 



