must be then, with the
_pickings_ of nine poor journeymen in his paunch." "Ish tere any room
outshide te coach?" bawled out a black-headed little Israelite; "ve
shall be all shmotered vithin, ~279~~tish hot day; here are too peepels
inshite, vat each might fill a coach by temselves." "All right--all
right; take care of your heads, gemmen, going under the gateway; give
the bearing rein of the near leader one twist more, and pole up the off
wheeler a link or two. All right, Tom--all right--stand away from the
horses' heads, there--ehewt, fee'e't!"--smack goes the whip, and away
goes the Brighton Times like a Congreve rocket, filled with all manner
of combustibles.

The box-seat has one considerable advantage--it exempts you from the
inquisitive and oftentimes impertinent conversation of a mixed group
of stage-coach passengers; in addition to which, if you are fond of
driving, a foible of mine, I confess, it affords an opportunity for an
extra lesson on the noble art of _handling the ribbons_, and at the same
time puts you in possession of all the topographical, descriptive, and
anecdotal matter relative to the resident gentry and the road.

The first two miles from the place of starting is generally occupied
in clearing obstructions on the road, taking up old maids at their own
houses, with pug-dogs, pattens, and parrots, or pert young misses at
their papas' shop-doors; whose mammas take this opportunity of delaying
a coach-load of people to display their maternal tenderness at parting,
while the junior branches of the family hover round the vehicle, and
assail your ears with lisping out their eternal "good b'yes," and the
old hairless head of the family is seen slyly _tipping_ coachee an
extra shilling to take care of his darling girl. The Elephant and Castle
produces another _pull-up_, and here a branch-coach brings a load of
lumber from the city, which, while the porter is stowing away, gives
time to exhibit the _lions_ who are leaving London in every direction.
King's Bench rulers with needy habiliments, and lingering looks, sighing
for term-time and ~280~~a _horse_,{1} on one side the road, and Jews,
newsmen, and _touters_, on the other; who nearly _give away_ their
goods, if you believe them, for the good of the nation, or force you
into a coach travelling in direct opposition to the road for which
you have been booked, and in which your luggage may by such mischance
happily precede you at least half a day. At leng