THE DAYS OF REAL PORT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19993, 9 November 1927, Page 13

THE DAYS OF REAL PORT

LONDON COACHMAN’S LAMENT. Many humorous letters are received each week by London newspapers on the subject of “the good old id.ays. * Recently an old coachman now living in retirement in Cheshire sent the following to the Daily Mail: “Oh, those splendid days—when tea was a luxury and we had ale for breakfast, dinner and supper. Once when I drove my gentleman out to dinner I found that the butler of the house we were visiting was celebrating his birthday. I drank fils health a good* many times, and when ordered to drive home I had a goo;r glass of old port. I remember driving through the lodge gates but nothing more. “The horses went on, however, until they arrived at the closed gate leading to the house. We must have stopped there for an hour before my gentleman wakened and found me fast asleep. Afterwand; I learned that he lifted me from the box, took off my coat and hat, donned them himself, placed me inside the carriage and drove up to the house. “Our butler was waiting at the door, and glancing at the person on the driving seat he believed to be me, he remarked:

“ ‘ls the old de’il drunk againT” “Then he opened the carriage door and found me on the floor as the temporary coachman leaned down and replied:

“ ‘Yes, drunk again. Drag the old de’il out.’

“We remained happy servants of our master."