Show thackeray and the cabman thackeray loved to jokes on himself and one ho especially enjoyed was about a reading hackman the author was unacquainted with the town and the moment he emerged from the railway station ho told a hackney coachman to drive him to the nearest hotel the driver closed the door ceremoniously mounted his box and they started in half n the cab was at a standstill and thackeray saw the cabman at tho door bowing to him to como out lie did so without a word and found that ho was at iho portico of the station hotel which he had tailed to sec was not a dozen yards off but be banded the man a shilling and was entering the hotel rather pleased with bis own sang arold when he was amazed to sec the cabman taking off ills coat and offering to aught him for tho other it appears that on that day a resolution of alie reading town council had come into operation empowering hackney coachmen to charge for any distance within the township this was its first fruits it is unnecessary to add that tho cabman got bis money and thackeray a good story to tell at tho clubs |