Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-01-21
A Journey to Nytl-L2nd.
Written for TIE GLOBE.

because they have travelled upon it.) I had
successfully resisted all offers at trade upon
the part of the train-boy from the book upon
marriage RECOMMENDED by all the ministers il,
the country to the chewing gum Of which all
the physicians in the nation had found them
selves unable to speak in fitting terms, but
which they all agreed would harden the gums
whiten the teeth sweeten the breath and
beautify the complexion of the consumer,
had started upon my journey bouyant and
cheerful, the day was drawing to close and
| was gloomy and Respondent. The train had
dragged itself into small town and stopped
exhausted before a dingy little depot, from
which an elderly lady slowly emerged and
entered the car where I was sitting. She
was evidently entering upon what she con-
sldered long journey, and had amply pro-
Vded herself against the perils and emerg-
encies of travel, after the manner of her sex.
When say this, need not mention that
she carried bird cage which was
tenantless, two band-boxes, a bundle OF
thyme, a glass jar of pickles and lunch bas.
ket Her person was swathed in shawls and
she carried with her one or two extra ones
also parasol.
couple of heavy trunks which had been
samewhat forcibly taken from her by the
bagsggageman, I judged 10 contain valuable
merchandise from the interest with which she
watched their shipment.
l had only time to notice these things
f1roo,, ",
jerk. The old lady sat down suddenly upon
the lunch basket putting her feet into the
bandbox, the bottom fell out of the bird cage,
and l settled myself to sleep with my head
over the back of the seat. One does not
sleep exactly in such a position, but q sweet
Inconsistencies, a blissful numbness and
partial paralysis creeps into your arms and
legs and spinal column which is very grateful
| was partially aroused from my
lethargy BY hearing tho old lady's
voice say, ''Not the right train :?
Well, I never! Don't go to Painsyille?
Well, well, what shall do?''
''IheieH' I thought, ''that's the third old
lady that's got on the wrong train to-day"
I settled myself back to sleep and ru1nina-
ton upon the subject. 1 reflected that I
never did travel upon a train without en-
countering some such unfortunate old waif
as this; my experience cannot be exceptional.
At this very moment there must be other
old ladies' lost and going hopelessly astray
upon other trains Probably in the course
OF a year fourteen or fifteen hundred old
persons with bird-cages and bandbo1es and
bundles of thyme go astray on our great
railroad system, like express packages and
letters. Where do they go to7 There is no
dead letter office for them, where they can be
sorted and returned to their own
ers. I never heard Of them coming
back. who ever saw in the daily
paper: ''We are happy to be
able to state that old Mrs. Putney who was
lost between here and Milwaukee some three
years since, has been restored to the arms
Of her son-in-law, Mr.. Fibbs,'' and vet we
don't find a trace Of them. They depart
to some shadowy country, some no-man's
land. Maybe it is their gloves we see some
tunes hanging on car racks. Perhaps it is
the peels of their oranges we slip on in the
car aisles. Perchance this subtle odor of
catn1p that now pervades this seat is men,
DRY of some Of their ancient packages
"Mythland" shouted the conductor
through the front door of the car. sMyth-
land!" corroborated the brakeman through
the rear door, and added, "Thirty years for
refreshments-change cars for all points,"
sat upright and rubbed my
eyes. Ihe car seemed to be
deserted by all but myself and the old
lady who was gathering her bundles together
and preparing to aight. then noticed for
the first time that she carried with her
large geranium in an earthen flower pot.
With her permission relieved her of the bird
cage and the geranium and with one in each
hand made my way out to the depot plat
form where she slowly followed me. There
was quite an assemblage at the depot, among
them several old ladies very much resembling
my travelling companion, and what made the
similarity OF their appearance more striking
was the fact that they all had either bird ca
ges or geraniums with them. Some had
cotton glove on one hand, and I noticed that
they wore the right hand glove in the left
hand, indicating that there was scarcity of
supply and they had been distributed
around
Some Of them seemed to recognize nv
companion, and they pressed round her say
ing, why how do you do Mrs. Bridsley we're
go glad to see you,'' but I soon lost
sight Of her, nor could again
distinguish her from any of the other old
ladies, SO closely did they all resemble each
other.
While vainly trying to settle in my own
mind which was my old lady, noticed a
short, swarthy looking man, dressed entirely
in furs, who leant against the depot, and
miliar appearance, and brought confused
recollection Of strange scenes, and long past
times to my mind. Catching my eve he
gravely advanced, and silently shook nv
hand. l made wild efert-as people will
upon such occasions-to recollect his name
and where I saw him; but the handshakinp
came to an end, and could only say, sWell.
it seems to me that know you but, -
"Know me-of course you do,'' he said.
''You and have been acquainted ever since
you were seven years old, and went to school
to Miss Bounce
'Yes, yes" said, "let me think, surely
recollect seeing you then, but the particular
circumstance l can't just now remember
He smiled gravely. He seemed to be a lit
tie hurt and said: "Have you then FORGOTTEN
the old geography subject, Norway Picture:
Norwegian killing bear?''
In an instant it all flashed upon me. "Oh.
to be sure" Cried 81 recollect you well.
now; and 50 you are the Norwegian?.
He nodded.
$50 stupid in me to forget said I.
"Ah! it is a long time ago. he said, call
is changed since then. The bears kill the
Norwegians now. 1t is more than / can
bear
! thought he meant a pun, and although it
was not good one, I laughed to make up
fer my former apparent GOODNESS. But he
looked at me and burst into tears.
'Yoll, too. are cruel" he said, and turned