دو 66 stage; one of those strolling player sort of chaps that go about the country living by their wits? I never heard of it before, I declare."-"Yes," answered George, to be sure I have; and performed a great many parts in my time: don't you see I am on the stage now. Lord, so you, be Mcaster Simcock,' said the yokel, "how droll! well, I never thought of that before. You really are such a funny fellow, it is worth all the fare only to keep you company up to London." It is well known that poor George Simcock was the delight of that stage on which he exercised his talents; but, like other great actors, with all his knowledge and care, he suffered Old Death' to get the whip-hand of him, and who compelled George to quit his box against his will, and also to laugh on the other side of his mouth. It is also true that his place has been supplied; but his box has never since been filled by any of his successors like the original rum one.' No, indeed; 'no more like my father than I am to Hercules.'-Peace to his manes! Sam Goodman and the Snows' were well known on the Brighton road as first-rate coachmen-safe drivers-prime cattle-with elegant turn-outs, and gentlemanly behaved men in every point of view, long, very long, before the late Harry Stevenson had ever entertained the slightest notion of mounting the box as a coachman for hire, and becoming a competitor with the above experienced dragsmen. In fact, it might almost have been observed that the road, which they had passed over so many years with credit to themselves and satisfaction to their passengers, exclusively belonged to them; they were so punctual to their time, did their business like clock-work, and civil and attentive to all their patrons, that nothing, it was thought, would have had any chance with them, they played their parts so well upon the stage. For months together were Goodman and Snow seen driving up to London and down again to Brighton every day, actually performing six hundred and twenty-four miles in the course of every week, regardless of wind and weather, and in opposition to clouds of dust, storms of hail and rain, and violent tempests of thunder and lightning. Indeed, it was the general opinion of the inhabitants of Brighton that any thing like an opening for a new coach was entirely out of the question; that Sam Goodman, as the punsters had it, was nothing else but a 'good' man; indeed, his points were all good. He was lively in conversation-full of anecdote-anxious to give satisfaction to all parties; and Sam could handle subjects in general with as much ease and freedom as he handled his reins. And although the quotation of Shakspeare might be made use o: against his opponent SNOW-"Wert thou as chaste as ice, or as pure as snow, thou shalt not escape calumny," yet, nevertheless, he stood equally in favor with the visitors to and from Lon don; and, in spite of a hot burning sun at times, and during the melting moments of summer, yet SNOW was always to be seen as a fixture upon his box, completely unchanged in his duty towards his passengers and his horses. The obstacles thus thrown in the way of STEVENSON to deter him from the attempt of starting a new coach at Brighton had not the desired effect; he thought otherwise, and therefore with the advice of his friends-he "took the road." STEVENSON, it appears, had received his education at Cambridge; but, notwithstanding the degrees he had taken at that celebrated seat of learning, prudence and economy were not amongst them. He soon got rid of his patrimony in mixing with society, and "keeping it up," as other swells of his acquaintance were wont to do. Harry Stevenson was ultimately "told out." The treasury became empty; and it was with him, "pockets to let, unfurnished." "He could not beg," and "to dig he was ashamed;" to become a clerk, or to stand behind a counter, were ideas too groveling to be adapted to the taste of a ci-devant gentleman! Yet something must be done to make the pot boil: breakfast was absolutely necessary to keep up an appearance in life; dinner he could not dispense with; a cup of twankey, and a muffin, were equally essential to prevent the human frame from decay; and supper, by way of winding up the day, a most important feature in the history of man's career. A glass of grog also wanting to keep up the spirits-a cigar to cogitate over as to future events-or a bottle of wine to make the "wisit pleasant," if the funds and numbs could procure it. The stage then was the only thing that struck his fancy as the readiest road to preferment and riches; or, pernaps, a more humble phrase might better elucidate the matter, namely, "to keep the wolf from the door." In this dilemma-this state of nothingness-Stevenson was too highminded to perform the character of Sponge, although a living must be procured for him some how or other. He was considered a crack gentleman driver-the hero of the taleamongst all his pals who could "tool a jervy,” and also voted by them "a proper marvellous man" to appear before the public in the personification of a regular dragsman. The practicability of the thing was canvassed by all his immediate friends-the points well considered-and the result-that Harry Stevenson should make his debût not in a box at the opera, with an eye-glass to stare his way into elegant society amongst the Corinthians, but upon the box of a stage-coach, with a whip in his hand, to persuade the horses that they had a master behind them; and likewise to obtain the good opinion of (whom, all in public or in private worship) THE TOWN? His noble pals, fellow-collegians, and sprigs of nobility, were fully acquainted with the doctrine and advantages laid down by the late Lord Chesterfield, that a prepossessing appearance is every thing in Society-therefore, in order to heighten the debut of Stevenson upon the stage, directions were given for a new drag to be made by the best workmen, calculated to "take the shine" out of every thing on the road. His tits, as fine as stars, possessing the qualities of race horses for speed, blood, and bone, with harness tasteful in the extreme, and placed on the prads with as much studied attention and care as the diamond necklace round the lovely alabaster neck of a beautiful duchess, or the gold chain upon the most handsome countess in the world, to attract admirers; and then the coachman, to correspond, or rather to harmonize, with the whole, a complete PELHAM in his walk of life; his dress was good, and his address of the same quality his manners mild and interesting; his figure slight, but carrying with it the air of a gentleman, and his "pickers and stealers," as the classic might call them; 3 his fingers and hands, as the sober sort of folks would term them; or, as the sporting men would have it, his "bunch of fives," were protected from the inclemency of the rude elements by "white kid gloves.' T e : No "petted" race horse was ever brought to the starting post in better TRIM than the late HENRY STEVENSON; indeed, he was ushered upon the stage under patronage of C the very first quality, a young honorable, the son of a very eloquent nobleman in the House Eof Loids, placing himself by his side on the box, the roof of the coach also covered with several young gentlemen connected with some of the highest families in the kingdom. The stare of the crowd was completely gratified; his cad (or assistant) also better attired than usual, to keep the unison of things perfect, who placed the boxes, and handed up the passengers. STEVENSON paying no other attention but to his horses, and when the signal was given "all right," his start was a first rate thing altogether-a Taglioni movement: and he handled the ribbons with as much case and confidence as Paganini when playing one of his favorite solos on the violin; he likewise held up his prads compact, firm, and coachman-like, and he left Castle Square, Brighton, triumphantly; he turned the corner of North Street like a charioteer; he was upon the London Road in a twinkling, and almost out of sight before you could utter "Jack Robinson!" The spectators crying cut, in the words of Goldfinch, "That's your sort." He had scarcely made his appearance on the stage, as an actor, before he became a great favourite with "the Town:" in fact, he was immediately patronized by all the beaus and belles as one of the "great creatures" of the AGE in which he lived, when the capabilities of a stage-coachman became the theme of discussion. Stevenson was quite a feature up and down the road; "mine hosts" were all 66 cay in hand" to him when he pulled up at their doors; and the good-natured smiling hostesses always greeted him with a kindly welcome; and the dashing bar maids looked "unutterable things," in favor of the gentleman drugsman. The "fine women" from the metropolis would always go with Stevenson, he was such a nice, kind, genteel, obliging, coachman; and the Corinthians, and better sort of folks, would always book with him for the sake of being in "good company." But, notwithstanding the above high flights of patronage of the " young swells,' who were always upon the tout for him, united with the smiles and interest of some of the best dressed and most attractive females of the day, yet Harry Stevenson, nevertheless, had his "work" to do; it was an Herculean task to attempt to get the best of such bang up drivers-"old stagers on the road from boys to manhood." It was true-he had pictured to himself the accomplishment of "great things," but it was scarcely possible to achieve any thing like improvement in the Coach Department, every portion of which was so well done on all sides. STEVENSON, however, was resolved upon making a dash-to try the question, at all events, he was determined; when he was immediately viewed as a dangerous rival by the "old uns;" his exertions to produce novelty were scanned with jealousy; and all his movements were watched with the most scrutinizing eyes by his knowing opponents. Sam, the pleasant, much respected Sam Goodman, was always a fast coachman; Snow (the good-natured, jolly fellow, fond of life and all the good things attached to it, in his business) was equally on the alert to keep "his time," nay, to get in before the appointed minute: indeed, all the dragsmen were on the look out to be placed any where on the list by the proprietors, except the last! They were all "quick chaps," and every one of them endeavoured to make their pruds put their best legs foremost to get over the ground with all the celerity of ten miles an hour. There was nothing like dozing to be witnessed on the bores, nay, on the contrary, they were compelled to be "wide awake," in order that they might not give half-a-chance away likely to be turned to good account by their learned, accomplished, and leary rival, who was anxious to stand very high in the opinion of the public., Although it should seem that Stevenson's box was not exactly a "bed of roses" to hi feelings, but rather a difficult place to be firmly seated upon; yet there was a certain "sort of style" about his conduct that caused him to be attractive in his line:--" the GENTLEMAN COACHMAN!" The most perfect stranger could not view Stevenson with indifference, either when standing by the sides of his horses, or seated upon his "box :" indeed, the appellation of "the gentleman coachman," is such that few men can obtain the name, without it is attached in an eminent degree to their personal requisites as to stamp the character: gentility of demeanour is not one of those common-place sort of things to be assumed at will by every body; neither is it to be put on with as much ease and indifference as the stage coachman puts on his upper tog when the rude elements assail his outward man. The "smart fellow" is another sort of appearance in the eye of the critic; "the good-looking man' a different caste altogether, to the common observer of men and manners; and the "dashing, knowing sort of driver," who has crept up by degrees to obtain a seat upon the box, and a good suit of clothes into the bargain, is considered to partake more of the swaggering qualities of human nature, in the mind's eye of the painter, than any thing like the idea of conveying the portrait of a gentleman." The remarks which took place as STEVENSON passed up and down the road from London to Brighton, were often extremely amusing to the passengers, of which the following wellknown anecdote, perhaps, will suffice: two London costard mongers, with their donkeys, who were selling their turnips and greens at the door of a gentleman's house at Streatham, when "the Age" stage coach passed by them, gave birth to the under-mentioned dialogue. "My eyes, Jem," said one of them to his pal, "only look out, did you ever see sich a heavy load of swells in your natural life time before? I never did." "Vy," answered the other dealer in apples, &c., "that ere is nothing new to him; his drag is always crammed both inside and out with the tip-top sort of customers; and as to the beautiful female vomen he brings along with him, lord bless their pretty faces, it does one good to look at them, I never saw sich pictures of flesh and blood since I was out of my eggshell! I should like to know as how where they grows sich handsome things. That ere STEVENSON is a lucky sort of chap. He has got all the top sawyers in a string! I should like to take a leaf out of his Book-it would be vorth having at any price, that's vot it voud." "Vy, Jem, I will tell you to a nicety how he does it; you might come over the folks i' the same sort of vay if you voud'n't be so independant-vell then, listen to me, you see civility costs nothing, and he has got a bag full of it, and which he always takes with him every journey that he goes; and he pulls it out as he vants it; he gives a handfull of ciwility to some of his customers, and a hat full to others, just as they will stand it; therefore, do you see as how if you will play your cards with as much judgement as the swell dragsman does, you are sure to vin the game, and no mistake.'" The following outline of STEVENSON, Written by ourselves, under the designation of" BILL PUT-'EM-ALONG," in the "Finish to the Adventures of ToмM, JERRY, AND LOGIC;" and which appeared during the lifetime of STEVENSON: We therefore extract it towards the completion of his character, and for the amusement of our readers: 6 He "Our hero now mounted the box, along with BILL PUT-'EM-ALONG, who was every thing but a dummy; in fact, originally, he had been intended by his relatives to sustain the sacred functions of a clergyman; and ac cordingly he had received his education at one of the colleges at Cambridge. What progress he had made in his studies during his novitiate to obtain the character of a learned Pundit,' had never been a subject of argument amongst his fellow-collegians; but for a trotting match, as a good shot, and as an amateur whip, they would back him to push along, keep moving, and to get over the ground,' against most of the stage coachmen of the day. His papa and mamma had long been called to that bourne from whence no traveller returns;' and he was left wholly to the guardianship of a rich old uncle. A good living' was also in store for him, when he arrived at a proper period of his life to conduct it with propriety and rectitude. The least thing BILL partook of at College was learning, it being the most troublesome. could much sooner dispose of a bottle or two of Champagne, than descant upon the Elements of Euclid; mount his tit with greater celerity than quote a passage from VIRGIL; and make use of the gloves with more tact than expatiate on the beauties of PALEY. BILL never expected preferment in the Church -to become a Dean never entered his thoughts-to be made a Bishop, quite out of the question; and as to filling the high situation of an Archbishop of Canterbury, it was visionary in the extreme. Therefore, severity of STUDY did not belong to his book-he turned over the leaves of the RACING CA LENDER with pleasure and profit; and noted down the ODDS at Tattersall's several times with an interesting account: and in the true spirit of the thing, BILL often used to give it as a matter of taste amongst his brethren of the gown, when enjoying the gaily circling glass,' during the hours of relaxation at College. For my money,' said he, 'I'll have DONCASTER for Book-ing against Cambridge; for NoB-work, I'll bet odds EPSOM in preference to Oxford; and for Readers, NEWMARKET 50 to 1 against both the schools of St. Paul's and Westminster. Ten Ponies on YORK, for the production of scholars, as to knowledge and calculation, against all the deep studies acquired at ETON; and Ascor, delightful splendid Ascor, for pedigree, bottom bone, and blood, all to nothing' against the training' at the Charter-house! "PUT-'EM-ALONG, it was soon discovered preferred the range of the world, to the con fined state of the closet, and he was deter mined to risk his fortune upon the Grand Theatre of Life, rather than stick to the old musty, fusty rules of College.' He soon ran through his patrimony; the advice of his uncle had not been attended to, and BIL felt quite satisfied that the good living' was completely out of sight; something must be done; a GENTLEMAN without means, he found to be the most afflicting state in society, and of no use' at all in the Metropolis; he, therefore, turned his attention towards the road! Yet not after the mode of a celebrated dramatic hero, to turn the lead into gold;' neither to trifle away his time with the 6 pretty Pollies' and 'fond Lucies;' but without hesitation he mounted the box, stuck to his leaders, handled the ribbons, and picked up, after all, a 'good living,' without quoting a single text from Scripture. Such was the outline of BILL PUT-'EM-ALONG. He was patronised by the Swells; his fellowcollegians also stuck to him like glue; and his civility and attention to his passengers rendered him a host within himself. His appearance was likewise prepossessing; his manners mild and interesting; and he was always dressed like a gentleman. In fact, the passengers were afraid to offer him the usual tip at the journey's end, until he faintly observed, the Coachman!' His drag was also in unison with the rest of his character, by possessing much more the swell look of a gentleman's Four-in-hand, instead of a regular vehicle for public hire! That BILL should prove himself a most interesting feature on the box, by his observations, and his knowledge of the various classes of society that he was compelled, from his daily occupation, to mix with, will not be doubted for an instant; he was also a most cheerful and lively companion in every point of view, and perfectly capable of answering any questions put to him by the passengers, respecting the seats along the road, and the characters of the various nobility and gentry who inhabit them. Alongside of the road, too, BILL had his friends amongst the landlords of the various inns, who said of Coachy, 'that there was nothing of the screw about him, and what he axed for, he tipped for, like a Gent., which was more than many dragsmen did as how they could mention, although it was no matter howsomdever, here or there.' PUT'EM-ALONG was likewise a bit of a favorite with the comely hostesses, the dashing barmaids, and prime smart chambermaids, who always gave it as their opinion, when Bill's character was inquired into as a Coachman, that he was such a nice man, and so attentive to the females, that it was really a pleasure to go a journey with a person like Mr. PUT-'EM-ALONG." JERRY had scarcely seated himself alongside the Coachman, when the fat knight said, Sir, I am very glad you have joined us; you will find Coachy here as good as an almanac, intelligent upon most subjects, and witty upon all of them; I have been joking with him about the uncertainty of human affairs, the change of occupation from grave to gay: the lingo equally at variance with the two situations in life; TILLOTSON giving way to Goldfinch, in order to comply with the phraseology of the road; and the dress necessary to render the character complete. I am glad to see that Mr. PUT-'EM-ALONG has got the whip hand' of his opponents; and, though not exactly holding forth' for the improvement of his flock, yet, nevertheless, he is holding them up,' and still so much confidence is placed in his exertions, to make all right,' that a great variety of souls and bodies are continually under his immediate care, in order that they may be kept in the right road, and arrive safe at the end of the journey." Respecting the tax, which numerous passengers find fault with, of being compelled, as it were, to pay the Coachman, in addition to their fare, it might be urged, that the anxiety naturally attendant upon driving a four-horse stage; keeping strange horses at times well together, and to do their work; the duty to be performed, whether in hot or cold weather, wet or dry; the safety of the passengers always in view, either up or down the hills; the absolute necessity of keeping time; the different tempers to please, inside and out of the coach; civilities always required; and satisfaction to be given to the various proprictors. When all the above circumstances are taken into consideration, the liberal mind must be clearly satisfied, that "the LABOURER is worthy of his hire!" The stage coachmen, within the last twenty-five years, throughout England, are an improved race of men altogether; the wASTE-butt sort of CHAP is entirely removed from the box; drinking at every inn quite exploded; and the drivers in general so well togged, their linen white as snow, and viewed not only as one of the best dressed, but frequently the best behaved men upon the coach; full of anecdote; anxious to please all parties; cheerful and merry; frequently humming some well-known air, by which means a journey of fifty or sixty miles now-a-days is disposed of so quickly, as to appear more like a matter of pleasure, than the dull heavy routine connected with business and fatigue. and The mind of the "Swell Dragsman" was strong enough to bear up against the wind and the weather; but his delicate spare frame could not withstand the heat and the cold, the hail and the rain, the frost and the snow, all the other rude elements which stage coachmen are heirs to.' But, as the punning Mercutio observes, in Romeo and Juliet, at the end of the combat with Tybalt, when the sword of the latter merely touches the body of Mercutio, "What, scratch a man to death! But no matter whether it is as deep as a well, or as wide as a barn door! it will do! I shall be a grave man to-morrow." actly so with the poor Swell Diagsman; one of his great toes was frost-bitten; considered simple in itself, as an attack upon his person, but, neglected, it ultimately produced those consequences to the Swell of the AGE," before he expected, or was prepared for it, a notice to quit." Thus suffering the king of terrors' to get the whip-hand of him,' also to Ex drive him off the road, and, as the last scene of his eventful history, to exchange his upper Benjamin (the envy of all his brother coachmen), for an article of a more lasting description, a WOODen surtout!-Sic transit gloria mund! Pleasure hath harnessed thy horses, all eager to run, Fiery and swift as the steeds of the sun! "Ah, this is life, happiness, splendor, and glee; Mount, mount, my sweet damsel, and journey with me." But, ah! that grim king, who sat at the feast, Hath followed the track of thy chariot wheel; Nor the sorrows that time will never heal: No more than thou didst the beggar's moan. Ah! what are worldly pomp and glory? Stevenson was by no manner of means a "lushy Cove," as his helper told a nobleman who was enquiring the cause of the absence of the coachman. "Ah, Sir," said the cad, rubbing the moisture off his peepers with his bunch of fives, a tiny bit,' after corporal Trim's affecting style of eloquence," the swell's bolted! Poor Harry's gone! He's left the drag! There's not a dry eye all along the road, since his death! The landlords are quite chop-fallen, to think as how such a werry nice man should have been brushed off the box so soon. An't it a pity, Sir? my lord, I mean to say, your honor. But it's nothing new, when one comes to think on it! We are here this morning, and in Lunnon to-night: I should have said, we are here to-day, and gone to-morrow. The poor landladies are all in grief at his loss, and the bar, and chambermaids, you never see sick vork with them,they are all napping their bibs, like winking; that's vat they are; only on account of poor Harry's being such a genteel, well-behaved fellow. He vas a nonpariel in his vay! Yet the swell was a married man; but no matter for that, my lord: he always did vat vas right. and never did wrong, not to nobody! He stuck to his own wehicle, the Age! the bangup AGE; the out and out AGE! Although he was quite a young one: but the good ones always go first. Vasn't it a picture of a drag, Sir, my lord? What a turn out! a prince might not have been ashamed to have tooled her. Such tits too! and sich harness-my eyes-lord mayor's show was nothing to it.But, my lord, you must excuse me: I cannot go on any furder, it cuts me up so. I might as well bolt myself, now my best friend's laid up in lavender! Ah, sir, it was an unlucky day when Harry's toe napt it, for the Age. It vas a bad job for me too, Sir, my lord, I mean. I have been out of luck ever since." The cad made his bow, and was off like a shot, leaving his lordship almost as much in the dark respecting the fate of poor Stevenson as if he had not been listening to the flash story of the chaffing helper. The Swell Dragsman' was likewise a wellknown feature in the sporting world, and upon all the movements out of town, his Rattler was sure to be full, both inside and out on the road to a prize mill, with Cantabs, young sprigs of nobility, in training to become greater folks; and those sort of choice spirits who are always ready for a 'spree,' a 'lark,' or a 6 turn up,' out of doors, to keep them from getting into more serious mischief at home. His book was equally filled for Epsom, Ascot races, &c.: indeed, his gay patrons were so anxious to give him a turn to witness every ( caper on the board' in life, likely to produce fun, afford amusement, or to hold out a chance to win a few of those ' screens for misfortunes,' his pals were never backwards in coming forwards,' to do honor to the Age! The king, it is true, might have spared a better man in society; and yet he would not have been missed half so much as the late Harry Stevenson! But, sorrow is dry! In order as a 'set-off,' or, more properly speaking, to show the contrast between the above "Swell Dragsman" and a coachman of a more weighty description in the scale of horsemanship, we have been induced to quote, with great pleasure, from the facetious pen of TOMMY Hoop, the celebrated punster, the pathetic ballad of John Day,' which appears in his last Comic Annual,' recently published:: JOHN DAY-A Pathetic Ballad. A Day after the fair-Old Proverb The very horses knew his weight, Alas! against the shafts of love The bar-maid of the Crown he loved, For though he changed his horses there, He thought her fairest of all fares, One day as he was sitting down Said she, my taste will never learn So I must beg you will come here |