"Look before you leap," is an advice applicable to many circumstances of
human life, besides the mere examination of the locality in which, on
which, or over which, you are about to exhibit your own or your horse's
agility in the performance of a saltation. Such was the course of
meditation that suggested itself to my mind, as I beheld an old woman
step slowly and deliberately off the foot-path of Carlisle Bridge, and,
without looking right or left, walk directly across the path of the
Kilkenny mail-coach, that was just then coming in, the driver, of course,
making his cattle do the thing handsomely, as they were so near home.
Before he could pull up, the leaders had upset her, and the coroner had
tenpence of his shilling surely counted, when a tall, athletic-looking
gentleman, stooping suddenly, seized her by the legs, and dragged her
from under the horse's feet, somewhat to the disarrangement of her
attire. "Look before you leap," said he, giving her a smart shake; "did
you never hear that adage, you stupid creature?"
"Arrah!" said she, with the most perfect innocence, "sure I was'nt goin'
to jump. Such a sayin' was'nt made for the likes iv me." "Poh! you stupid
being," said he, and walked on.
I followed, making the above reflection, when, about half way over, the
actively benevolent gentleman saw a little boy about nine or ten years
old put his hand into a gentleman's pocket; he instantly, with a
promptitude similar to what he had just exhibited, dealt him a blow that
nearly knocked the breath out of him.
The proprietor of the pocket, startled by the "_Hagh_" that announced the
sudden and almost total expulsion of the sufferer's breath, turned
sharply round, and, as the boy staggered over against the balustrades,
fiercely asked, "Who did that?"
"That young rascal, sir, had his hand in your pocket," said the striker.
"Well, sir, and what if he had?--He's _my son_."
"Your son! Sir, I beg a thousand pardons. I--I--I--"
There is nothing I hate more than to see an unfortunate individual in an
awkward dilemma. Maybe it is from having so often suffered, that I have a
sort of fellow feeling. So, merely repeating to the recent promulgator of
the old adage his own words, "Look before you leap," I passed on.