Page:A Companion and Useful Guide to the Beauties of Scotland.djvu/59

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BEAUTIES OF SCOTLAND.
41

when you most want him; and often comes galloping after you, at the risk of his own neck, and to the great detriment of the poor post-horse. You will say, perhaps,—if the servant be stuck to our backs, how inconvenient! not to be able to send on for horses. If you travel for pleasure, you need not be in such haste; and besides, how few men are able to ride a hundred or more miles a day, for two or three days together? also, when you get into countries where you are obliged to take your horses wherever you go, there can be no sending on for fresh horses. But the most solid reason with many for adopting this mode of conveyance for a man-servant is, the very considerable sum of money it saves. To me, the convenience is not to be described, as by my man's being at all times at hand, he was ready to discover if any thing was amiss, and to assist in setting it to rights.

In a journey of near two thousand miles, my carriage was only once near being down, and would certainly have been so, had the servant been any where but on the seat behind. He felt and saw the shackle belonging to one of the hind springs break, and instantly called to the postillion. Had the carriage not stopped immediately, I do not