with your wealth. As for you, Larry, you'll die poor; you
spend too much in whipcord."
"Well," said Larry, "what is a fellow to do if his horse won't go
without it?"
"You never take the trouble to see if he will go without it; your whip
is always going as if you had the St. Vitus' dance in your arm, and
if it does not wear you out it wears your horse out; you know you are
always changing your horses; and why? Because you never give them any
peace or encouragement."
"Well, I have not had good luck," said Larry, "that's where it is."
"And you never will," said the governor. "Good Luck is rather particular
who she rides with, and mostly prefers those who have got common sense
and a good heart; at least that is my experience."
Governor Gray turned round again to his newspaper, and the other men
went to their cabs.
36 The Sunday Cab
One morning, as Jerry had just put me into the shafts and was fastening
the traces, a gentleman walked into the yard. "Your servant, sir," said
Jerry.
"Good-morning, Mr. Barker," said the gentleman. "I should be glad to
make some arrangements with you for taking Mrs. Briggs regularly to
church on Sunday mornings. We go to the New Church now, and that is
rather further than she can walk."
"Thank you, sir," said Jerry, "but I have only taken out a six-days'
license,* and therefore I could not take a fare on a Sunday; it would
not be legal."
* A few years since the annual charge for a cab license was very much
reduced, and the difference between the six and seven days' cabs was
abolished.
"Oh!" said the other, "I did not know yours was a six-days' cab; but of
course it would be very easy to alter your license. I would see that you
did not lose by it; the fact is, Mrs. Briggs very much prefers you to
drive her."
"I should be glad to oblige the lady, sir, but I had a seven-days'
license once, and the work was too hard for me, and too hard for my
horses. Year in and year out, not a day's rest, and never a Sunday with
my wife and children; and never able to go to a place of worship, which
I had always been used to do before I took to the driving box. So for
the last five years I have only taken a six-days' license, and I find it
better all the way round."
"Well, of course," replied Mr. Briggs, "it is very proper that every
person should have rest, and be able to go to church on Sundays, but I
should have thought you would not have minded such a short distance f
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