The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1870-10-18
On the Graees and Anxieties OF Pig
Driving.
BY LEIGH HUNT.

BY LEIGH HUNT.
From the perusal of this article, we
beg leave to warn off vulgar readers of
all denominations, whether of the great
vulgar or the small" Warn, did we
say2 We drive them off:-for Horace
tells us that they, as well as pigs, are to
be so treated. obi profanum vulgus,
says he, ct arceo. But do thou lend thine
ear, gentle shade of Goldsmith, who
6dst make thy bear leader denounce
everything as is low" and thou, Steele,
who didst humanize upon public houses
and puppet-shows; and Fielding, thou
whom the great Richardson, less in that
matter land some others thou thyself,
did accuse of vulgarity, because thou
didst discern natural gentility in foot
man, and yet was not he taken in by
the airs of Pamela and my Lady 6.
The title is a little startling; but
"style and sentiment" as lady said,
"can do anything" Remember, then,
gentle reader, that talents are not to be
dispised in the humblest walks of life;
we will add, nor the muddiest. The
other day we happened to be among a
set of spectators, who could not help
stopping to admire the patience and ad
dress with which pig-driver huddled
onward his drove of accommodating
cleves, down street in the suburbs. He
was born genius for maneuver. Had
he originated in a higher sphere, he
would have been general, or a stage
manager, or at least, the head Of set
of monks. Conflicting interests were
his forte; pig-headed wills and proceed
ings hopeless. To see the hand with
with which he did it How lowering,
yet firm; how encouraging, yet com
polling; how indicative Of the space on
each side of him, and yet Of the line be-
fore him; how general, how particular,
how perfect No BARRIERS could culver
about head with more lightness Of
apprehension no cooks put up and
proportion the side Of pastry with a
more final eye. The whales, quoth old
Chapman, speaking of Neptune,
"The whales exalted under him, and knew,
their mighty king"
The pigs did not exult, but they knew
their king. Unwilling was their sub
lection, but more in sorrow than in
anger" They were too far gone for
rage. Their case was hopeless. They
did not see why they should proceed,
but they felt themselves bound to do so;
forced, conglomerated, crowded on
wards, irresistably impelled BY fate and
Jenkins. Often would they have bolted
under any other master. They squeak
ed and grunted as in ordinary; they
sided, they shuffled, they half stepped;
they turned an eye to all the little out
let's of escape; but in vain. There they
stuck-for their very progress was a
sort of sticking-charmed into the cen
ter of his sphere of action, lay
ing their heads together, but to
no purpose looking all as if they
were struggling their shoulders and
esch ewing the tip end of his whip of
Office. Much eye had they to their
left leg; shrewd backward glances; not
a little anticipative squeak, and sudden
rush of avoidance. 1t was a super
fiuous clutter, and they felt it; but a
pig finds it more difficult than any other
animal to accommodate himself to cir
cumstances. Being out of his pale, he
is in the highest state Of wonderment
and inaptitude. He is sluggish, obsti-
nate, opinionate, not very social has
no desire ofseeing foreign parts. Think
of him in a multitude forced to travel,
and wondering what the devil it is that
drives him! Judge by this OF the talent
of his driver.
| We beheld man once, an inferior
genius, Inducing pig into the other
end of Long-lane, Smithfeld. He had
got him thus far toward the market. 1t
was much. His air announced success
in nine parts out Of ten, and hope for
the remainder. 1t had been happy
mornings work; he had only to look
for the termination Of it; and he looked
las a critic of an exalted turn of mind
would says) in brightness and in JOY.
Then would he 60 to the public house
and indulge in porter and pleasing
security, perhaps ne would not say much
at first, being oppressed with the great
ness of his success but by degrees, es-
pecially if Intercepted, he would open,
| like Enas into all the circumstances OF
his Journey and the perils that beset
him. Profound would be his set out A;
full of tremor his middle course; high
and skillful his progress; glorious,
though with a quickened pulse, his tri-
umphant entry. Delicate had been his
situation in Duckingpond row master.
lly his turn at Bell alley. We saw
| him with the radiance Of some
such thought on his countenance.
He was just entering Long lane:
A gravity came upon him as he steered
his touchy CONVOY into this his last
thoroughfare. A dog moved him into
a little agitation, darting alcng but he
: resumed his course, not without a hap
DIV trepidation, lowering as he was on
the borders of triumph. The pig still
REQUIRED care. 1t was evidently pig
with all the peculiar turn Of mind O.
his species; fellow that would no
move faster than he could help; irrita
Bile; retrospective; picking objections
: and prone to boggle: chap with a ten
: dency to take every path but the propeI
; one, and with sidelong tact for thu
alleys.
He bolts?
He's ofE-ESusit erupa
ooh, Ch-st!" exclaimed the man
: dashing his hand against his head llf'
ing his kee in an agony, and screaming
: with all the weight Of aprophesy whlcl
the spectators felt to be too true-"Hs
: 40 up all manner Of strsetsF
Poor fellow we think Of him nov
sometimes, driving up Duke street. an
not to be comforted in Barblcan.
The Government has not yet bee
. IL.