The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-01-13


There is magic in the calling Of a
stage-driver. Everybody knows and as
pires to know the stage-driyer; every
body Is known by, and is proud to be
known BY, the stage.tlriyer. The little
boys remember il q month, il the stage
driver speaks to them. There is PR
ticular satisfaction to be able to distin.
guish among drivers and say IL was
Winkle, or il was Mason, or it was
Mitchell. The'stage-iriver is prince Of
peculiar realm; and that realm con-
sists Of the yellow coach he drives, aud
the high eeat'h occupies, and his four
mettlesorne 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, Ikea, prince, is held in rev.
ence OF the populace. OF all the people
on the earth, 10 is the onewho rollsby
in gilded coach; he is the one who
rides through his immense estate with
the most lordly md consequential mir,
and all the rest of us seem to be bnt
poor tenants and gaping Doors. II is
something to speak to q stage.driyer;
it is o great thing to be recognized by
the stage-driyer. To be perchance
known, by one who knows nobody, sis
nothing. To be known, TO be pointed
out, to have your namc whispered in q
bystander's cur, by one who knows
everybody, affects Sou MS il omnisciGnce
were speaking about you. The stage
driver, differs from steamboat captain,
in that the latter is not seen TO be SO
Immediately connected with his craft as
the former. We meet the captain at
the breakfast.table; ho is nobody; he
is no more tliRn we; we can eat as well
us he can. But who dare touch the
stage-tlriver's ribbons2 WHO drc swing
his whip? .'II'
How rapidly and securely he drives
down .one hill and Zip the next-..and
that with fifteen passengers and half n
tua Of baggagel Then how majestically
he rounds to, at the door Of tho tayerril
What delicate pomp in the movement OF
the four handsome horsesl In what
style the cloud Of dust, that has served
ns an outrider all the way, passes of
when the coach stops! How the vii.
lagers.--the blacksmith, the shoemaker,
the thoughtful politician, md the boOzy
loafers that fill the stoop-.-grin md
stare, and make their criticisml
How he filings the ereins and the horses
TO tho stable-boy, who presently returns
with a splendid relayl How he accepts
these from the hoy with that sort Of mir
with which king might be supposed
to take his armor from the hands Of a
vnletl There arc his gloves, witlnl; he
always wears gloves, as n Saratoga fine
lady, and would no sooner touch any
thing without gloves than such Indy
would glass Of Congress water.
There is, moreover, n mystery attach
ing to the stage.tlriver-..a mystery
deeper than the question why the car
casses Of elephants arc found imbeldel
in the ice-mountains of the Arctics.-.
even this: Why the stage.drivcr is not
frozen to death in our winters? Ills
punctuality has something pretornat-
ural in it. How, in the coolest weather,
in the sbverest storm, in fogs, in sleet,
in hail, in lightning, in mud, when no.
body else is abroad, tho stage.driyer
appears, rounding tho corner, just MS
regular and Just ms quiet ms tile old
clock in the kitchenl - b.