THE MAIL COACHMAN.

The following is a letter from the mail coachman who drives daily from Cardiff to Swansea, to a gentleman who rode on the box of his coach to the late meeting of the British Association at Swansea. This gentleman was returning from Manchester, where he had been to meet three hundred Ministers of the Gospel, of all denominations, all "total abstinence" men, at a conference which lasted three days, for forming plans for the furtherance of the Temperance reformation; and he, observing that the coachman was a very intelligent man, and the picture of robust health, and learning from him that the circumstances under which he became a teetotaler were very interesting, begged to have an outline of them in a letter, of which the following is an abstract, and which is now published with John Probett's, the mail coachman, permission.

Cardiff, May 4th, 1848.

DEAR SIR-A short time since you came down on the "Box" of the London and Pembroke mail, via Glo'ster, which I drive, and have driven for nearly eight years; and amongst other topics which our conversation led to, was that of Temperance," and the more important one of "Total Abstinence" from all stimulating, exciting, or intoxicating drinks, which you and myself agreed. were not at all requisite, for there is not one man out of

66

every hundred who requires to take it for the sake of keeping

!

up his strength. Some persons may, perhaps, say that with
some constitutions it is requisite; but from my experience and
long observation, there are but a few instances where it would
be absolutely, bona fide useful, and then to be taken most
strictly (not to gratify the palate)—in every sense of the
word, "Medicinally." I will now endeavour to convince you
(and God grant that I may be enabled to convince others)
from the following narrative, that it is "quite a mistake" for
man to think he requires a glass of ale, wine, or spirits of
any kind while he is travelling, or exposed to the inclemency
of the weather. I tell him he does not require it, because he
is exposed to the different states and temperature of the
atmosphere (I speak from experience); and I think you will
allow my authority to be good, and I hope of some value to
the "cause," when I tell you it is the result of an experience
of 27 years of exposure to all kinds of weather; and that
during that time, as a servant of the public, I have never
been out of employment
66 one minute." I have driven on
several roads out of London and in the provinces, but was
never out of a situation, always having a coach to go to
before my previous engagement terminated; during that
period I have driven a distance equal to more than 27 times
round the "earth" which we inhabit, allowing the circum-
ference of the "globe" to be 25,000 miles. My present
appointment is 74 miles per day, or 27,010 miles per year;
and during the last fourteen months (with the exception of my
having been "subpeonaed" in Bristol, in October last, on a
trial to prove an "alibi”) I have never been one day off the
"Box" of the Mail, Sundays not excepted, and I have been
through some very severe weather last winter, yet I have
never had recourse to "stimulants" of any kind, showing
clearly that a person in health does not require them.
it is really quite astonishing what a very little we do require,
only the "mind" cannot be brought to think so with all
persons for instance, from the amount of exposure to which

And

I am subject, a person would fancy he ought, previous to starting, to lay in a good "foundation." It is a mistake: the majority eat and drink too much. Now I will tell you my habits for the last fourteen months, and their results.

I rise regularly without being called, about 6 A.M., and immediately have a cold bath, dress, read for three-quarters of an hour, and prayers; breakfast, which consists of a small basin of bread and milk; am at my duties (the coach-office) at 8 o'clock; go 74 miles (all weather) without taking anything whatever; return to my home at 5 o'clock P.M. At half-past 5 o'clock Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I partake of meat for dinner (roast or boiled mutton), potatoes and bread, and about half a glass of water, (always leaving off when I could eat half as much again); and in the evening of those days, at 9 o'clock, I take a cup of tea and a slice of bread and butter. Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, I do not eat meat, but take tea and dry toast for my dinner; and on those evenings, at 9 o'clock, I have a glass of water and a slice of bread and butter; read every evening and prayers, and go to bed very regularly at 10 o'clock. The result of such extreme regularity of diet, habits, and rest, I find to me, to be most conducive to health, and I have no doubt it would be so to others. I have never been so happy, so even in my temper, so cheerful, nor did I ever so easily discharge the several duties of my occupation as I do now. And as I feel so well, by God's help I am determined to "leave well alone." The only object of my narrating this is to incite others to do likewise.

Very faithfully, your obedient Servant,

P.S.-I never smoke or take snuff.

JOHN PROBETT.

Some years ago, John Probett was in the company of several coachmen, when they affirmed that no one could drive a coach and attend to his business properly on less than two glasses of brandy and water a day. That very evening Probett dropped 1s. 6d. into the box, and said, "there goes two glasses of brandy;" and with this money which he dropped in every night regularly, he paid the insurance on his life for £1000. After a while a bonus was granted, which reduced his payment; and it is now only one shilling a day. Thus he has secured a competence to his family in case of his death. Besides this, he has been enabled to send four of his children to boarding-schools, that they may enjoy the inestimable advantage of a good education. He keeps a regular journal of the events of each day, and stands at the head of his profession. How much better to make this use of his money, than for a man to spend it in making himself more or less drunk, which is the case with many a coachman, who becomes a pauper as soon as he loses his employment.

£3

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THE REFORMED FAMILY.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

You requested me to give you a short account of a pleasing incident which occurred during my visit to the North of Ireland.

In walking through the town in which I then stopped, I met a Presbyterian minister, who invited me to tea. In the course of conversation, his wife expressed a wish I should visit an unfortunate family, sunk in the lowest state of degradation from the direful effects of drunkenness. The father was a man possessed of a moderate independence, but from the same sad effects was obliged to mortgage his property and reside in a small cottage, miserable in appearance and the abode of wretchedness, a short distance from town. The eldest son had died a short time before from the baneful influence of drink; this had no effect upon the parents, who, instead of being awakened to a sense of the sinfulness of their frightful vice, which had robbed them of their property and deprived them of their son, literally abandoned themselves to their vile propensity; and their only surviving son, a lad fourteen years of age, followed in the footsteps of the parents, and was also a victim of the intoxicating bowl.

When this sad story was related to me, I felt a secret impulse constraining me to visit the unhappy family; but as I was to leave the following day for Belfast, I knew not how to accomplish my wish. Desiring to alleviate if possible the wretchedness of these wretched people, (and as the coach was not to start until 2 o'clock) I determined, should the minister accompany me, to certainly pay them a visit. He had an engagement to attend the funeral of a magistrate in the neighbourhood the following morning at ten o'clock, but could we be sufficiently early to accomplish our visit before that hour, he could then be my escort. I had an engagement to breakfast with two pious ladies, who engaged with me in fervent supplication to the Almighty to bless our projected visit.

On reaching the door of the miserable dwelling, the servant, a tawdry country girl, made her appearance, who on being asked for Mr. C., replied he was sitting in the kitchen corner, as sick as possible from two nights' hard drinking. "And where is your mistress ?" "In bcd," she replied, "just from the same cause." She then ushered us into the kitchen, where, in an old, broken arm-chair, sat the ruin of a fine-looking elderly man, prematurely wearing the curves and wrinkles of old age. "I have brought Mrs. Carlile to visit you," said the clergyman. "I know