Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1851-10-15

score years and ten, and venerable in age,
she sits by the fireside with her children
and her grand children around her. accom-
plished scholars and honored statesmen may
be among their number, who will assemble
in her chamber with emotions of love and
reverence.
TIE EMPEROR oT RyssIA's coAcKMAN.
"obserye," ne says, Ayonder stately, six
feet high, comfortably full-bodied man, with
his round face and still roulder beard. in
the kaftan of fine green cloth, and the
square cap of red velvet trimmed with fur.
The mans habitual mode Of life is the most
comfortable imaginable; dolce Jar niemte
is his profession and only from time to time
has he to make certain superhuman exer-
tions. That is the emperor's body coach
man Off duty he lives like lord Of the
land. You probably imagine that the
coachman's natural residence is the stable !!
but-to err is human Our charioteer has
never seen the stable since he received his
last appointment. Whether the carriages
be in good condition. the horses fat or lean,
the harness suitable, he troubles not his
head. Even as a chamberlain approaches
the Emperor, with the words, "Sire, the
carriage is at the door," so does coachman
of the second class present himself before
the great chief of the stable department and
say, "Alexei Iwanowitsth, the horses are
put to"
"Then the comely man with the beard
rises from his chair empties his glass, and
descends deliberately into the courtyard !;
there groom offers him his arm, leaning
upon which he gently attains the coach
box settles himself comfortably, and mods.
At that nod the rens ere handed to him, he
winds them round his hands. stretches out
both arms strait before him, settles himself
firmly against the boX-he neither can nor
will sit, and proud as an emperor on his
throne, he drives off. 1t might really be
said that he does his work without moving
hands or feet. The latter he hardly can
move, for he Is firmly planted upon them,
and of the motion of the former you are not
aware, for he guides the fiery horses with
the pressure of the little finger. 1t is only
out of afectation that when he pulls up, he
throws his body backwards, clasping both
arms to his breast, like a person SWIM
ming.
aAfter half-hour's drive, he returns
home, the Emperor alights, and he drives
into the courtyard. A groom runs to the
horses heads another helps him off the box,
he throws the reins to coachman, and
walks away. His days work is done. He
has driven the Emperor, that is the whole
of his duty. For that he has officers rank,
several thousand rubles of salary, and lives
in clover. But the medal has its reverse !;
for it may happen that the Emperor, on
getting into his carriage, instead of bidding
him drive to Kamina Ostrow, gives the
word TO Moscow and just as he would
have driven seven versts in the one case,
so he drives 1861 versts in the other, with
out pause or refreshment, without closing
an eve or leaving the box. At certain dis
tances along the whole road there are little
houses, built at hating places for the en-
peror Alexander, bat Nicholas does not use
them; he seldom alights till he reaches
Moscow, and the changes Of horses being
effected with lightning swiftness, the coach
man has hardly time to take of glass OF
coOdka. At every post fresh postillion
GETS upon the box with him; but the most
the postillion is allowed to do is to urge on
the horse-the reins never leave the coach
mans hand, and thus he gets over the one
hundred and four German miles, standing
with outstretched arms, without food, his
attention increasingly upon the strain, ex-
posed to every possible variety of tempera-
ture-on the box of the carriage with twen-
four degrees Of heat and IN that of the
sledgc with as many of cold. 1t has hap
pened, that on his arrival in Moscow, he
was unable to leave his box; four men lift
ed him of, he was perfectly stiff, his eyes
were starting from his head. he had to be
bled and put in bath, before his stlitened
limbs and strained nerves resumed life and
suppleness. No German could endure such
enormous fatigue the Russian endures it
with ease, when ne must-he would do
nothing his whole life long if he might. =
Black,cood's .Magazine.