Litchfield enquirer., 1837-05-25
From he Boston Tr0Ueller.
THE STAGE DRIVER,


 through the town of Athol, in this Com monweaIth, an accident occurred to the stage coach in which was comfortably dO- sing, which rendered it necessary tO take another team,-and as matter of course a new driver,-a happy looking fellow with rosy checks, who, to all appearance, was about twenty years of age. The paSsen- gers having congratulated themselves on their escape from vehicle so unsafe, were again beginning to resign themselves to nodding sIumbers, when determined up- on another change of position; and there fore by the politeness of the driver, who checked the horses, mounted the box, at his left hand. The drivers seat is always a good one and if the man at the rein is an obIiging being, possessing withal topo- graphical knowledge of his route, travel Ter must be solitary, who does not love to v'ew the strange scenery, which is con- tinua!ly varying as he gazes.
 A little courtesy on my part, soon drew George into conversation. My first opin- ion, that he was an obliging young man, was confirmed by variety of circumstan- ces. ascertaned that George was an or- phan, his father and mother both died in one season, leaving him at the helpless age of two years, without farthing, to the mercy of those into whose hands he might fall. How he had been taken care of, or by whom at that tender age he could not tell ; at least he appeared unwilling. At the age of ten, after having passed through sev- eral families, gentleman placed him with an upright New England farmer, in the northern part of the county of Worcester, where he enjoyed the common advantages ofa district school, and toiled at the plough and turf, till his nineteenth year. His reputation for honesty, sobriety and faith ,fulness, induced stage proprietor in a
 ighboring town, to give him employment, prS driver, his constitution being evidently Heebled by the fatigucs of a farm. His eHster, perfectly convinced of the necessi- mfaf his pursuing different line of busi- a nsuvith real kindness of heart, went the dl miles to assure the proprietor that was ie's character was without blemisl,. to bken l was in the stage, George had oi, ,pone year on the line, e,-and as after wards learned, had secured the friendship of all the proprielors, and the esteem of every stranger which chance brought to his coach.
 There was an elderly lady on the back seat to whom I related Georges story, when I resumed my former seat. This was Mrs. B., whose home was in Porto Rico. She had been over various sections of the United States, in the vain hope of recovering her health. Such was her in- terest in George, from my account of him, that when we arrived at Lancaster, pleas ant town 35 miles from Boston, the end of his route, she presented him with silk pocket handkerchief, in one corner of which was dollar, in consideration she said of his carcfulness of her baggage" t" George was sensibly affected at her kind- ness-assured her he did not merit pres ent, for he had done no more than his duty, and the same he did for every one.- "WelI," said Mrs. B., always take care of the baggage and you will be pros- pered." George bowed respectfully, and the new coach, in which we were located, drove from the door. Our next driver was bloated faced, short, swaggering, swear ing, whip-cracking Jehu, who ran his hors- es one moment, and d--d them for not trotting the next. Tho contrast bctwixt passengers exclaimed ho was unit to man age rein-a moment more, by his unskil- fitness or partial intoxication, we could never determine which. the horses sprung from the road, and carriage, passengers and baggage were thrown in chaos down pre- cipice fifteen or twenty feet. I have no leisure for describing the particulars of the scene. It was soon ascertained, however, that Mrs. B. was badly injured. One of the horses was immediately detached from the fragments, on which ! rode with out a saddle, and almost without bridlc, back to the village for physician. As ] knew no one but George, and thinking so good driver was probably now taking as good care of his horses as he had of his charge before we left him, rode to the stable door, and to my great joy found him washing his horses. It was unnecessary to relate the disaster; he anticipated my words and in ten minutes mounted the doc tor on one of his feetest nags, and follow ed him on another. On examination, the right arm of Mrs. B. was found to be badly fractured. She was taken to the nearest dwelling, where the limb was spln- tered: and in the meantime George assist ed the careless dog who caused the whole mischief, to regulate affairs, re-harness, re- pack, retreat, &c. In the course of two hours, the carriage, which had received no material damage, was again under way with the loss of one passenger. Recollect- ing the lady's injunction to "take care of Me baggage" George carefully conveyed her trunks and band-boxes to the hotel,