Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-09-01
doluetester 4ailg Spy.
The Mad CabmaH.

so like burrs to my memory. When l got
out of the door of the Freemasons tavern Con
the night of February =, 1861 where the
dinner of the benevolent Superannuated
Night Porters' Association" had been held,
and calling close cab from the stand, as the
cabman got down slowly from his box and
opened the door for me, with the natty twist
and tug peculiar to. the craft, looked inside
and saw that one of the cushions was nearly
torn in half, and that the foot mat was kicked
up in dirty heap in one corner Upon which
observing the number of the cab to be l ,676,
and somewhat, perhaps, exhilarated by the
benevolent Night Porters'" champagne,
remarked pleasantly, that zone might expect
things to be at skies and sevens in cab 1,676."
The cabman growled something in return, but
he made no other answer.
One thing, too, | noticed about the cab
having rather sensitive eye for color-and
that was, that the vehicle was painted bright
canary color, bright as the wings of a gold
finch; now yellow being color peculiarly
abhOr, except in sunshine and calceolarIaS, |
grumbled, half aloud and half to myself, that
sit must have been mailman that painted a
cab such color"
''No more mad than your MASTER" replied
instantly an angry voice from somewhere or
other; but whether it was the waterman, who
now stood holding the door, and hoping, II
would remember him. and whose pewter
badge shown like silver in the gas-light
whether it was some street hoy lurking round
for pence; whether it was drunken waiter,
or even some mere impairment paSser-by, /
could not in the hurry of the moment very
well determine. l remember, however, reply
ing to the waterman as gave him a penny
'When | forget thee then shall Long Acre
4. 4.
scripture, and so unmeaning that the very ut
tering of it struck me in an instance with the
conviction that had taken too much wine.
So the waterman thought too, for heard him
as he passed the cabman say
'"The cove's sprung-take care of him, he's
worth half sinner to ye!"
l felt vexed at the time, but said nothing
but reused all my consciousness, determined
to watch this cabman narrowly, and resist all
attempts at opposition. Wine turns some
men into braggarts, others into towards.
Some sing and others talk, when wine mounts
up into their brain. Me it makes silent, wa
ry, suspicious and cautious. 1t quickens me,
it extends my mental vision, it heightens all
my senses. 1t seems-if may so express it
to come to the windows of my mind, and rub
a Yapor from them, So that l see people clear
er and deeper.
1t specially had this effect on me on the
night in question, so before the cabman had
yet shuff1ed up the capes of his coat, and tied
fresh knot in his whip, had calculated how
many miles it was from Long Acre to my cot
tage on Downham Green, east of Hammer
smith, and observed that the horse was good
one, and untired.
E'Vere to, sir?" said the cabman, forcing
the door with great difficulty into its proper
place, and then with all his strength, grinding
down the rusty or bruised handle.
''To No. 4, De Beauvoir Terrace, Down
ham Green, Hammersmth.
''And how many miles do you make it,"
said the sullen rouge again, as he rudely thrust
his rough face i'll at the window, speaking
with sour, hard voice.
| replied that | called it not quite five miles.
'ENot much less said the man bitterly
with growl, as he put one foot on the step
to mount to his coachboX.
tAnd mind its double fare sir, after twelve"
he added, returning again to carefully pull up
both windows, and to reopen and re-slam the
opposite door of the cab. did not like the
vindictiye look he gave me as he did this; but
said nothing, for knew his number, and
the wine made me reckless of all dangers but
l did not'know the motive of all that care
then.
evil you go on" l cried, ''with your ram
shackle cab, or I'll get out and take another
a better one?"
''Vell go on fast enough presently" growl-
ed the ill-conditioned fellow with peculiar
emphasis as he jumped up on his seat. The
horse spluttered about for moment on the
stones, struck out spark or two with his
hoofs, and then sprang forward. The water
man, finging down his water bucket, took off
his hat ironically to my driver. heard a
voice behind us calling for a 'cab, quick"
''Take care how you drive that there gem
tleman," cried out policeman, and we were
off. The lamps of Long Acre passed us in
quick procession; it seemed but minute,
and we were in st. Martins Lane At that
instant the gusty wind bore across the road
the "half past twelve" struck by the bell al
st. Martins church.
The driver, thinking of his overfare, turn
ed, and tapping at the window, with Il brutal
leer, asked me if heard ''the clock-a-strik-
ing;" but l did not reply, for had taken a
strange dislike to the man, and my only wish
now was to get as soon as possible to my own
home, and rid myself of fellow probably
half intoxicated, and evidently determined to
be extortionate and troublesome.
By this time ii had begun to rain fast; the
mist before wavering and wandering, now
against the cab windows, covering them witt
moving surface of water that rendered it i'm
possible for the time to see out of either glass
The wind, too, beat against the cab, and flew
bowling before us up the street. Still We
drove on fast and steadily up Regent street
where now nothing could be seen but a stra,
policemen covering up in doorway,
/ never saw such rain before nor since. II
seemed to whiten all the pavement, and IF
madly dance and splash, as if each drop were
living thing. Yet all this time that the
rain seemed ready to beat in the windows, tn,
cab-man, with head bent deprecatingly down
drove on singing scraps of coarse sea-song
"Belay there Delay! was all he would saw
AS we tossed in the chops of the Channel.n
I struck the window angrily, to stop his ri
bald and insolent song; but he did not seem t.
hear me, and paid no attention to my signal
so throwing myself back in corner of the
cab, | began to turn over the chief events o
the evening in my mind, just to vile away the
time.
Through pleasant haze the past hour
seemed again to defle before me- 1t wen
through all the moments from the time tn,
man AT the door gave me the ticket for my
hat. to the time that / gave it back again t.
tie same man, and told the waiter to call MI
a cab from the nearest stand. | remembered
all the bows and Understandings of the com
mittee room and how at last, in an irregula
body, we moved into the dining-hall marsh
aled by the jolly-looking, portly stewards
with blew rosettes at their button holes.
remembered the buzz as old Lord Foptoddle
our noble chairman, arrived and took his seat
] remembered, too, with smile, the burst
ing out Of "Down among the barley" iron