Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1871-07-07
The Back Seat

He eAiEencles OF spring millinery obliged
our friend Polly to take trip to Springfield
the other day. Somewhere up north a
ireiEht-train had run of the track, OF q hand
ear been iuopp0rtunely encountered, or some
Of the usual things Had happened, so that
when the train appeared behind time, it Of
ieIed only one car to the crowd impatientlv
awaiting its arrival. OF course there was a
grand American rush for seats.
Polly, who dis1ains to push and scramble,
who thinks there are few things in this world
worth SO debasing ones self, found herself
obliged TO take the back seat-that uncom-
Portable little back seat by the door, usually
occupied by the bewildered foreigner unused
10 travel. However she had her own self
respect, at least.
And presently she discovered that the m
iversal law of compensation holds good even
in respect to back seats. Through the back
window Of the car she obtained such a wide.
new outlook on the world Away behind
her sped her native mountains. shifting into
new beauty of shape as the track twisted
this way and that until they grew blue in
the distance and finally vanished behind new
ranges that gradually appeared in the picture.
Broad and groen the meadow spread ont
each side in the sunlight. She saw all the
willows ''pussying out by the brook sides,
the elms hazy with their tender mist Of tinv
new leaves, the back ponds in the woods
There was certain fascination, too. in
watching the track unr0ll itself from beneath
the cars. and speed away into the distance.
now plunging into deep gorges, then cut
over high emhankments, through the arches
of bridges. over brooks and rivers. now in the
depth Of solemn woods, now lust skimming
the corner of an old farmhouse built wears
before railroads were dreamed Of
Then Polly caught all the after-glimpses Of
reople-little bits of human nature entirely
lost by the occupants Of front seats She
saw the young man who kissed his hand IRON
the back platform, and the girl be left be-
hind him waving her handkerchief across
the rapidly widening space between them,
the old man getting slowly into his empty
wagon gazing wis-tully after the train that
was whirling ms boy of to the greedy West
the depot loungers laxily picking up their
feet and Sauntering of the nen blowing in
the fields; The women cut hanging clothes
the lrishmen at work on the track gong on
again with the work interrupted by the
passing train. tie runaway horses sobe-
ring down; the truant boys who ''hurrahed'
the train, climbing down from the fence and
scrambling of toward school
d" It is like life, though Polly. who felt
IN q particularly moral vein this morning
'' So we come and 90. There is a little stir,
a little brief importance, then We are gone,
and 10 the world goes on Just the same"
Ii was curious 70 notice how everything
seemed to catch the infection of hurry from
the train. The dead leaves whirled and
leaped in the air; the very sand, '' Of the
earth oarthy," flew on the breeze ''as it had
wings 3" the sober old trees in the wood way
cd and tossed their branches, and seemed to
stretch their arms out imploringly, saying,
" Take US with you, cut from shis solitude
and silence into the world Of hurry and bus
tie and life to which you GO"
And the picture was always changing.
Polly never knew what might come next. |
She decided that it was altogether the best |
panorama she ever attended. She felt posi- |
lively sorry for the young man with the |
slightly bl0ated, red face, in one Of the best |
seats on the shady side in front. who looked |
70 intcnlv ont the window whenever a wou- |
an entered the car until some gentleman had /
given her seat and Tor bis neighbJr. the /
TAT old gentleman, who secured the same /
end by burying bis face in newspaper. |
They were losing SO much. and thev never |
knew 1t. All this changing scene OF life and /
teauty, and human nature, going on around |
them, and they never the wiser or better for
it. entirely shut up in their own selfish,
cisagrecahle selves.
And. being in a moral vein, Polly wonder
ID ii The people who take the back seats in
ile don't always have the best of il; the
people who are not in a fret and hurry. and
fre@aly r'@ly TO push down and trample on their
iIe.'lI"tFavelers TO secure the best place, the
-lsnea' positions, the first notice, the front
- generally; who don't expect much. are
II; 5'' % thrust themselves forward. don't
w. nun about themselves any way.
so-a,;. ,,,',le' yneFe was not certain peace and
ssieul'y always attendant on the back seat:
d pi1 isis1fe from 93e's self that gives room for
- O' outside living. And. after all. the
journey Is So sh1r; and s., s,r,d, 49,. III.
'ne scat one occupies is Of verv little eonse-
quence The PEOPLE in the bac, 'se-g seat ,g9 reacb
The journey S end Just as soon. and oncs tbeTe
no one asks how they cane. 81. Tbere - a
Gay after to day" That an sbopl5 he ,ood
ed5ured eI and unselfsh and helpful to their
IeH9w-passengers, and possess their own
sou,s IN peace, are the important things.
at least, 50 it seemed to P5lv This br;gbt
99prlng morning.. Thorne, in ClriaSga