The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-12-30

piano-fort6-yo1 knoH@ior shS a :,
for the frst finger, etc.--you understand GER a'
/ I saw che aptness Of the. remark imme.
| diately. and told him that as ne had had
mora practice thsn I had, he had better
teach me the lesson by going over 1t again.
| he did 30 with come miegivibgs, thought,
| hnt finally reached the top and rolled over
| 20 a place Of safety just as the starter COM
| mencsd9 clashing at the door to warn the
driver to move on. II could not desert
| Brown. or else, under the circumstances, l
would not have yentured the steep ascent.
! The horses having heard the clashing had
pricked up their ears for o go, in order TO
avoid the whip, and the driver was looking
! down at me, as saw during timid glance
az him, with decided sinister glimmering
in one eve, and an equally decided appear
ance of contempt on the end Of q red nose.
I made dash at the side, and found my
progress decidedly easy until l he'd my
foot on the wheel. Then the driver cluoked
up his horses, and feeling convinced that
must choose between an immediate rise or
disastrous fall, made spring and
reached the top, rolling over my left arm,
which had not taken the correct position,
and nearly breaking it, while my foot ap-
reared to do some damage inside, as there
WAS terrific rumbling as Of an earthquake,
and o rough voice was heard outside the
window, and almost within reach of me.
Driver, some COMPOUNDED beast up there
has put his foot through my hat ~ $40
The driver looked around. Well, hero
he is," said he, eff you want to, take it
outer him, or else hand him over to the
perlice !"
A silence ensued below, and the driver
commenced stopping his horses, probably
for the purpose of letting the gentleman
inside take it +" OUTER" when the same
voice replied, with an air of declining a
favor, "No, never mind drive on"
"That was rather awkward" remarked
Brown. @&f r 1S@
eyes" answered, but as it is my first
appearance on the stage, consider myself
excusable." 80 ns-7s s.fa a O..
"Well, ut any rate, your appearance
made sensation" s-s- r ta. a2
The general appearance of our new ter
ritory was not more promising, as regards
physical security, than the larger new ter
ritories out West. The deck was convex in
form, sloping gradually from the centre to
both sides, for the purpose, probably, OF
letting the rain off, but it had also the
effect of gradually sliding q man down to-
wards the frail bulwarks which pretended
to guard the edges. The driver had one
seat in the middle of the deck at the bow,
with only room for one, probably the only
place in the omnibus that was not made to
contain more. Brown and deliberated for
some time as to the very safest place we
could occupy.
aFor convenience" said Brown, I" /
would prefer to lie down lengthwise. 1t is
probably as safe, and then we are not apt
to get sea-sick. u - 5s9S. ~,
SSea-sick ?" said I, incredulously, "do
people get sea-sick on these vehicles?"'
I" Frequently" said Brown.
"Most alters" put in the driver, "if
they amt used to it."
We did not wish to open o conversation
with the driver-I especially felt it would
not be agreeable 80 we answered him
nothing. objectedto lying lengthwise, on
the score that it was not becoming in the
first place, and in the second, that it was
apt to soil our clothes. Brown would have
urged his proposition, doubtless, but at that
moment huge swing around of the vehicle
as one wheel caught in the track of rail-
road, settled the question for us by landing
me against the frail tafrail, with my legs
dangling over, and Brown in the same posi-
ton alongside. Probably we looked fool
ishly at one another. Certainly he looked
foolishly at me.
"This is the position I would have
choseu," said, as coolly as possible.
"No doubt" said he, "but q man in
moderate circumstances seldom has the
privilege Of choosing his own position"
The world, as seen from the top of a
Broadway stage coach, is but feeting
show. The rapid passage of men, boys,
and women on business, the numbering
movements of huge trucks and unwieldy
horse cars, and the general jam of every
thing, serves to make UP the pageant. We
arrived at the sombTe structure usually
termed the Aerial Broadway Bridge. 1t is
about sixteen hands higher than mans
head when he stands up on an omnibus.
We looked up ominously at the terrible
weight suspended over us IS we passed I'M
der it.
"This is called the High-Loew Bridge, is
it not r" said /. =
"Yes," answered Brown, "and they
made q jack-game of themselves who built
it,"
"How many feet is it up there from
where we are 2'' asked. ......... ..
"About sever-up," answered the driver,
who again entered into our conversation.
This time he apparently did SO under diff
culties. He was at the moment, if may
use an awkward expression, "numerously"
employed. He was driving, of course, but
al the same time he was changing dollar
bill, at which both Of his hands and his
mouth were employed, the bill futtering
between his teeth and the reins tapping
over his right arm, while his left hand,
with small stamps in it, was hailing pro-
bable passenger at st. Pauls. He appeared
to find all this occupation so easy that he
entered with exquisite ease into our con-
versation, and made the remark above re-
cited.
At that moment, too, a ragged tod, news
boy, made dexterous dive at the foreWheel,
passing directly under it, and disappeared
apparently under the horses feet.
"He will be crushed by the wheel " |
shouted to the driver. .sE}oI"
"Why don't you whoa your horses %
said Brown, IS he leaped recklessly from
his seat.
AT that moment, however, the boy ap-
peared on the other side unhurt, and ven
tured on similar speculation with another
vehicle which was running alongside Of us.
He again appeared safe and sound, and
apparently as unconcerned as the driver,
who, still busy with his change, his reins,
and his prospective passengers, cast look
Of mingled contempt and amazement at US,
and then said -. Z. - - !
"Don't fear, for them boys. They are all
RIGHT come wheel or whoa"