45 Jerry's New Year

For some people Christmas and the New Year are fairly merry times;but for cabmen and cabmen's horses it is no holiday, though it may bea harvest. There are so many parties, balls, and places of amusement openthat the work is hard and often late. Sometimes driver and horsehave to wait for hours in the rain or frost, shivering with the freezing,while the merry people within are dancing away to the music. I wonder ifthe beautiful ladies ever think of the weary cabman waiting on his box,and his patient beast standing, till his legs get stiff with freezing.

I had now most of the evening work, as I occasionally was well accustomed to standing,and Jerry was also more afraid of Hotspur taking cold. We had a great dealof late work in the Christmas month, and Jerry's cough was bad;but however late we were, Polly sat up for him, and came out with a lanternto meet him, looking anxious and troubled.

0n the evening of the New Year we had to take two gentlemen to a housein one of the West End Squares. We set them down at nine o'clock,and were told to come again at eleven, "but," said one,"as it is a card party, you may have to wait a few minutes,but don't be late."