The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-11-24

railway Offices I never could get
throughit,"
man, eagerly. al have never travelled
either, and should bo like a child among
the foreigners. So my spinster said.
And"
"And was she so very liberal ~ said
my mother, family. "Was it hand
some present, II Imight ask2p
"She did not give me a halfpenny,
nothing that I could jingle on,a tomb
stone, or even-for I have toe much
respect for my cloth to be seen 80 on.
gagged = upon some more becoming
gaming-table."
"Some Bank OF England notes would
save you from employing your time in
such pastime, " said ], q little smartly.
"Her beneiaction, 1 suppose, took that
"Not got 1t yet" said he, humor.
ously. III mean the solution. No,
I'm not TO have any cash. Yet shepays
all expenses. See here" lie said, pull.
ing out two little books.
Not tracts o. ] said, scornfully.
"No," he said, " "though am to give
them away piecemeal. They arc tails
mans, or talismen. In short, they are
coupons."
1Coupons, what are theyP We all
looked at them with mysterious curl.
osity, as though expecting they would
change suddenly into precious metal or
notes.
"You know" he continued, 81 am
methodicalin my ways, and the moment
I heard OF the famous coupon system /
hailed II as being made for me. In
fact the whole OF human life ought to
be transacted in coupons. II would
save world OF trouble and anxiety
But" said my father. mildly,
"you have not explained. What Is o
coupon2 What do these things in
your hand meanP"
"see here. London TO Dover; no
money or ticket, but merely tear out
and present coupon. Packet ditto, 7.
o. and p, that is tear out and present,
coupon. Il abbreviate.) To Paris, I.
o. and 2. coupon. At hotel, break.
fast; garsong, bill. Here you are,
coupon. So with dinner. So with bed.
Coupon here, coupon there. Coupons
to the right Of them, coupons to the
left OF them. Fire 'em OF in all diree.
tions. And SO you see you can travel,
board and lodge for month, be taken
away, kept and brought back, without
puttinp your finger into your purse
once the whole time
We we're enormously interested. Was
there not something piquant and en-.
gaging In this ingenious subyersion OF
all ordinary forms Of human arrange
nent? There was, ps he said, n beau.
tiiul simplicity in the system and it
was certainly the first successful at.
tempt at doing without the root Of oil
evil. The vulgar element was elimina-
ted, and one could at last travel with
out losing all sense Of romance. How
we wondered, as he explained how the
director OF the system, lived and di-
rected in town, whence ho dispatched,
every day and every hour, crowds Of
travellers TO the ends Of tho earth, fur
nishing each with nothing but his little
book Of tracts. He then unfolded q
sort Of broad sheet or programme OF ar.
rangements, in which, besides giving
information, the founder chats agree.
ably with his patrons-rather was he
not their patron7-tells them his pros
poets, what he is going to do, and what
be has done.
",so there is the way IL stands, F" said
Mr.. Blowman, rising, "and l am to be
transported to Curebath by boat md
rail. maintained there at the Golden
Stork fortnight, and returned to my
friends, without any expense or trouble
beyond Offering little slip Of paper as
I come or CO..
sion. The seed was sown, the Difficult.
ties vanished OF themselves. The sys-
tenn commended itself as something
almost fascinating. Before the next
evening all was arranged, and though
my father naturally felt some trepida.
tion as to tho fate OF his glasses, still
the danger he felt was reduced almost
to q minimum. We were TO go with Mr..
Blowman.
To carry out the principle in Its most
perfest style, Mr.. Blowman declared
that a not more than a few shillings in
cash were to be brought by the party,
Just to deiray the charges OF cabs, por.
terage, and 80 forth. We should trust
ourselves implicitly TO our coupons,
and, as we agreed, give the thing iair
play. It should be the coupon, the
whole coupon, and nothing but the
coupon.
rather a post.ofiice order was dispatched
10 the coupon.founder, who by return
Of post promptly returned three stout
little pamphlets, and one Tor each Of o
smaller little tract, each having por-
trait like an enlarged postage stamp,
Which was to be in common for the
hotels. We set to work, got on pack
ing, and at last started, my father
slightly tremulous about his glasses.
But Mr.. Blowman liberally guaranteed
their safety. i.
Everything was delightful andworked
admirably. Coupon here, coupon
there; mp, down, everywhere, they were
all graciously honored like cheques. It
was universally agreed that it was the
most charming way Of travelling that
could be. We-that Is, l and Mr.. Blow
man-heartily wished the principle
could be introduced into oil the trans
actions Of life. Dover, 0stend, Brus-
sells, all were strictly couponized; then
on TO Cologne and the Rhine, where
coupons were administered largely.
The only drawback was that our small