Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-03-15
A STAGE DRIVER FROZEN.
Story of n Tough Winter Thirty Years
Ago.

story OF Tough Winter Thirty Years
Ago.
They used to have tough winters in
New York. That delightful editor,
Lewis Gaylord Clark, told in his depart
ment of the old-time Knickerbocke
Magazine, touching story of the cold
winter nights thirty years gone. He
got into a stage one night at his office,
way down town, and was for some
blocks the sole occupant of the
draughty, creaking vehicle. Then it
stopped and took in a pompous old fell
low, swathed in furs and warm woods.
The fare in those days was six cents,
and the newcomer poked a five dollar
bill up at the driver, who dumbly
shouted back that he could not make
the change, his fingers were SO cold
and SO the pompous man curled up in
his comfortable clothes and the editor
sat and thought what small mean soul
that man had in him. They rode on
and on; finally, with a great deal Of
smoky breath, the drivers thick voice
came through the hole: Haven't We
got any change at ALL" and the rich
man looked insulted and shouted, stNo.
| tell you: there's that BILL" and again
he offered it.
But the driver faced round, saying:
I'm to cold to make change"
And the stage drove on, the rich man
doing and Mr.. Clark thinking him
over and making up his mind that he
had the roundest shouldered narrowest-
chested soul that was ever made, inside
him.
On, on they rode, till the stage was
way up town-up as far as Blocker
street which was up town then. Here
the rich man got up to leave, and to
Clark's great Indignation handed up
the five dollar bill again, but to Clark's
utter amazement and abashment, also
said:
Hand in six cents to the company
and put the rest in your pocket; it's
cold night, that'll hel p warm ye"
He bounced out and Clark felt Mr.. r.
3. Morse tugging at his heart strings.
lie wanted to run after, shake hands
and ask that mans pardon, but the
resolve, like most good ones, came too
late.
And the editor fell to moralizing,
perhaps to sleep. Anyway the first
thing he knew he was carried away
past his street, and the omnibus had
swung round into the stable yard. Two
or three gruff men with lanterns sur
rounded them and were pulling at the
drivers legs, with Hi Bill" Wake up
old man p
Mr.. Clark tumbled out and finding
something was wrong fingered a mo-
ment-to see, to his horror, the misera-
BILE driver lifted from his seat a corpse
frozen to death on the perch; his lines
still lying in the still fingers, the CLASSY
eyes open, as if in death the poor driver
meant to look out for his horse.
Then Mr.. Clark remembered the in
cident of tie five dollar bill and went
with the dead into the Office. There
tucked inside the mans ragged mitten
was the money, and very willingly the
man in charge acknowledged his right
to it.
But the worst part of the nights
work remains. Bill had a wife, and
some Of the men told how the poor, de-
voted creature these cold nights had a
nice warm supper and rousing fire in
waiting for cher man who drove the
last stage up" And Mr.. Clark volun-
teered to precede the sad sight which
was to blind those faithful, watching
eyes with bitter tears, and break the
news gently to the poor widow.
Then he describes the far-up room in
the miserable house on Tenth avenue,
where the light of the little window
streamed out far into the night, bea-
con to the honest heart coming home
to her; the CHEEKY face at the opening
door that shrunk fearfully back at
stranger; the neat room, with the COM
Portable supper smoking on the stove;
the little table set for two; the number
less evidences Of the woman's thrift and
love, and then, alas the dreadful story.