Rensselaer Republican, Volume 13, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 February 1881 — Mrs. Sprague’s Coachman. [ARTICLE]

Mrs. Sprague’s Coachman.

One of Mrs. Sprague’s coachmen has been talking, and tells a little that is of interest. He says: “I lived with Mrs. Sprague for a long time at Edgewood, her own farm, near Washington. It is a delightful place, and things went on pleasantly enough. Mrs. Sprague is a large hearted,handsome woman,and everybody about her is much attaeh,ed to her: her three girls and a boy are finecnildreu, and all the time we lived there, there never was any trouble. Sprague used to come occasionally to see the children, perhaps take a meal with them, and then go off. Well, I just know the great secret of this case, although it was a sudden discovery’. It was almost the Fourth of July, Mrs. Sprague said; “William, I want you to go to the Pier tomorrow,’ meaning Narragansett, and prepare for us to come on,’ ‘To-mor-row! I’ta impossible,’ I says. ‘No such word as impossible,’ says she, and go I had to in some shape. I took several horses, Shetland ponies for the children, and the boss road inare. “Still for several days she didn’t come, and one day when I was rubbing a horse down, a shabby old fellow walked in and says,‘Are you Mrs. Sprague’s coachman?' ‘I believe so,’ I says. ‘Well,’ says he, ‘I guess we don't want any coachman this season.’ ‘Oh.’l says,‘you don’t, eh? Well, I don’t think you know anything about it.' ‘l'm Governor Sprague,’ he says. ‘l’m Mrs.Sprague’s coachman,’! says, ‘and I take my orders from her.’ Well, next day I got a little note from her, saying there was trouble and I had better go,quietly. Of course I knew at onee what she meant, but I won’t say about it till I hear from the senator, I know this, that when I saw old Sprague, I didn’t wonder if such a handsome woman did go back on him.”