Beaufort Republican. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1871-1873, 1873-01-16
The Stage-Driyer.

There is magic in the calling of q
'stage-driver. Everybody knows and as
pires to know the stage-driver; every
body is known by, and is proud to be
known by, the stage-dIiver. The little
boys remember it month, if the stage
driver speaks to them. There is par
ticular satisfaction to be able to distin-
guish among drivers, and say it was
Winkle, or it was Mason, or it was
Mitchell. The stage-driver is prince of
q peculiar realm; and that realm con-
sists of the yellow coach he drives, and
the high seat he occupies, and his four
mettlesome horses, and forty miles of
country road, and the heart of several
principal roads, not to speak Of ten
thousand little matters of interest and
pleasure, business and profit, news and
gossip, with which he is connected.
Hence he, like prince, is held in rev.
ence of the populace. Of all the people
on the earth, he is the one who rolls by
in a gilded coach; he is the one who
rides through his immense estate with
the most lordly and consequential air,
and all the rest of MS seem to be but
poor tenants and gaping Doors. 1t is
something to speak to stage-driyer;
it is great thing to be recognized by
the staRe-driver. To be perchance
known by one who knows nobody, is
nothing. To be known, to be pointed
out, to have your name whispered in
bystander's ear, by one who knows
everybody, affects you rs if Omniscience
were speaking about you. The stage
driver differs frsm steamboat captain,
in that the latter is not seen to be 80
Immediately connected with his craft as
the former. We meet the captain at
the breakfast-table; he is nobody; he
is no more than we; we can eat as well
as he can. But who dare touch the
stage-driver's ribbons9 Who dare swing
his whip?
How rapidly and securely he drives
down one hill and up the ne1t--and
that with fifteen passengers and half
tun of baggage! Then how majestically
he rounds to, at the door of the tavern!
What delicate pomp in the movement of
the four handsome horses! In what
style the cloud of dust, that has served
as an outrider all the way, passes off
when the coach stopsl How the vii
lagers---the blacksmith, the shoemaker,
the thoughtful politician, and the boozy
loafers that fill the stoop---grin and
stare, and make their criticism!
How he fings the reins and the horses
to the stable-boy, who presently returns
with a splendid relay! How he accepts
these from the boy with that sort of air
with which king might be supposed
to take his armor from the hands of
valetl There are his gloves, withal; he
always wears gloves, as Saratoga fine
lady, and would no sooner touch any
thing without gloves than such lady
would glass of Congress water.
There is, moreover, a mystery attach
ing to the stage-driver---a mystery
deeper than the question why the car
casses of elephants are found imbedded
in the ice-mountains of the Arctics---
even this: Why the stage-driver is not
frozen to death in our winters9 His
punctuality has something preternat-
ural in it. How, in the coldest weather,
in the severest storm, in fegs, in sleet,
in hail, in lightning, in mud, when no
body else is abroad, the stage-driver
appears, rounding the corner, Just as
regular and just as quiet as the old
clock in the kitchenl