Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-07-05

money is far"
ut is your fare" | said with a
smile which should have melted his
heart, but didn't.
"My fare, is it," And his voice
rose to a wild shrek. My fare, is
it? And you take me away on a
Sunday afternoon from beat where
l was gettin' a dozen fares an hour,
and.bring me to this God-forsaken
place, and then offer me one-and-
sixpence! My farel / ought to
ave crown; and a 'alf-a-crown is
the very least as I'll take"
/ took out another silver shilling
and handed it to him, but | felt
that l had the dignity of an Amer
ican citizeness to maintain. | re-
membered what my friend had told
me, and | said loftily:
"And now | will take your num-
Der, if you please"
"Yes, I'll give you my number.
Oh, yes, you shall ave my number
and welcomed" and he tore off
from somewhere a sort OF tin plate,
with figures on it. | had been ac-
customed to the printed slip which
every French cocher hands you
without asking; and it occurred to
me that this metal card was rather
clumsy, and that if he carried many
such about him they must some
what pull down his pockets; but |
knew that England was a country
where they believed ia making
things solid and durable, and l
supposed it was quite natural that
cabbies should present their pas
Sengers with metal numbers, in
stead Of paper ones; so, holding the
thing gingcrly in my hand, |
marched TRANQUILITY up the steps Of
my friends house.
| have seen in Italy and else
where various pictures Of the de.
scent of the fallen and condemned
at the last day, but l think even
! Michael Angelo might have caught
a new inspiration from the descent
Of my cabby. He plunged can
| think Of no other word-down
J from his hight, tore the badge from
my trembling fingers, and shook
: his hard and brawny fist within
the eighth Of an inch of my tip
: tilted nose
| "0w dare YOU" he screamed
cow dare you be maxim off with
my badge? III ave you hup hi
!: you don't mind your heye."
And, indeed, | thought my eye
! very likely to need minding. Blu
| he mounted his perch again, badge
in hand, and poured out impreca
J tons like a flood, while | pulled
: frantically at bell and knocker
e When at last | was in my friends
drawing-room, / told my troubloul
story.
"Oh, l hope you have his mum.
: ber," said my host.
"No, he took it away, as I'm
telling you"
"0h, but don't you remember it,
e You should have taken it down
4 with a pencil"
I Then | discovered what my mis-
take had been.
| have never, since that first ad-
venture with the London cabby
I encountered anything quite so for.
: midable and terrifying; but | still
|, feel that the London jehu is a being
J to be dreaded. My second expe
= rience of him was to drive under
. his auspices to a dinner-party.
h gave him eighteen pence for a dis
!, tance which | have since learned
. only entitled him to a shilling. He
. was a very polite cabman, quite tn,
/, politest cabman, have seen. HI
v regarded his one-and. sixpencc witt
! Il gentle smile, a little tinged will
+ melancholy. Then he touched hi
- hat, and said most respectfully:
81 begs your pardon, but | thinl
= as you don't know the distances
y No lady as knew would give M
;. :, less than two shillings."
e gave him another sixpence-
>. should have done it even if | haC
y known better, his courtesy was S,
n beguiling. He thanked me Sweetly
4 and then he said
/, about what time would m,
n lady be likely to be going 'ome. l
! Pm in this neighborhood I'll com,
p" for you. II might save you SOM
y trouble"
. informed him that l did no
~ know; but, at about II o'clock,
= - servant came to me and told me tha
y, the cabmau who brought me wa
waiting for me, so | submitted t.
destiny and went home under hi
3 banner.
Nelson's Appreciation of Himself
| Cornhill Magazine
at The murder of Prince Caraceiol
le and all the other bad doings at Ma