ort
to the little meanness and persecution of which a single proprietor may
be guilty. The latter may underpay his servants, keep them at work all
day, or take every advantage of them in every possible way. But if a
great company does this, the public cries shame. But we must be off.
Once more we find ourselves in the road; a 'bus comes up--we climb the
roof--we have seen baronets and M.P.'s get inside; an opposition 'bus is
behind; "All right!" cries the conductor. Merrily we rush on, exclaiming
mentally--

"Ore favete omnes et tempora cingite ramis."

As a contrast, let me quote the following from Miss Meteyard's essay on
the history and present condition of the Metropolitan omnibus drivers and
conductors, published in Cassell's "Working Man's Friend and Family
Instructor," in 1850. Our readers will see that in the last few years a
great and desirable change has been made. Miss Meteyard says:--"As we
have said, 11,000 individuals are connected with the omnibus labour of
the metropolis. Of these, 6,000 are drivers and conductors, who work on
an average rather more than sixteen hours a day; namely, from before
eight o'clock in the morning till after twelve o'clock at night. The
labour connected with railway omnibuses is still severer than this, being
twenty hours each third day, and fourteen on alternate ones. Nor does
the seventh day bring rest, as in most laborious occupations; work goes
on in precisely the same manner; and, as on some lines of road, the
traffic is greater on Sundays than on other days, the work is so far
heavier. During the number of hours the men are employed they _have no
rest_. The driver never leaves his box, except during a few occasional
minutes whilst his horses are changed; and he has, therefore, to take his
meals during these periods, and usually upon the coach-box, as, where the
men have wives and families, some member of them may be often seen
handing up the tea or dinner in a can or basket. As the married portion
of these men universally say, they 'never see their children except as
they may look at them in bed;' and as for home, in its commonly-received
sense, or of any of the moral duties connected with it, the one is
unknown, and the other is impossible. The case of the conductors is
precisely the same, neither having a day's rest for months together, for
if they take one they have to pay a substitute; and in many cases the
proprietors object to a day's relaxation, an