River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1878-04-04
Waiting for the Train.

Ii man was deSlrOuS OF leDgtnenlng
out his days, or of making his life seem
long to him, we would suggest that he
pass all his leisure time waiting for the
train.
One might live hundred years in
forty by this way of doing
When does time ever pass SO slowly as
when we are waiting for train? Were
ever hands of clock SO long in getting
round as the hands of clock in railway
station?
You are generally, if you are woman,
little too early for tie train. Men man
age it better, and contrive to be a little
late. They had sooner run for it then
wait Aud so had we, if only our petit
coats would allow us. But in the present
fashion of clothing, it is as impossible for
woman to do anything at running as it
is for setting hen to operate sewing
machine.
You are always apprehensive of being
too late and, breathless and excited you
glance at the clock, and find to your sur
ptise that you have half an hour to wait
You buy your ticket, feeling, after the
piece of pasteboard is in your possession,
that You are half way there wherever
"there" may be. You slip the ticket INTO
your glove, to guard against accidents,
and take an account of stock, as repre-
sented by your bundles and packages.
No woman can go anywhere comfortably
and respectfully, without three bunales
certainly,
You find them all right, and pile them
UP on a corner of the settee, and glance
apprehensive at the woman on the other
| corner, and wonder if she is thoroughly
honest, ana if i will be safe to leave your
belongings there while you go to the look
| ng-glass and see if your hat is on
straight.
TINS satisfactorily determined, and you
look at the clock 20 find only five min
utes of the time you must wait gone.
You begin to feel restless. You count
the number OF panels in the door of the
room, and study the grain of the ceilings,
| and wonder when the stove was blasked
last; and then YOU take to reading the
| framed advertisements hung upon the
walls. ~ this and that Life Insurance
Company. d this and that Organ Com
pany; and you look at the engravings OF
the Organ Company's buildings with in
terest; and contemplate the gaily. painted
posters of DR.. Somebody's Stomach Bitters
| with attentive eyes.
Anything to take up the time.
You 90 10 the windows and watch the
peanut-man across tho street. Strange
| how much interest he has for you. You
never noticed peanut-man before. And
The organ grinder ploddinng along ovel
| the wav, how you wish he would STOP
| and grind out Captain JInks, or any Other
classical music, his machine is capable o.
Where is that train9 Surely it must be
/ latei Some accident must have happened
TO it. and you turn back to ask the the
telegraph operator about it, and see by
the clock that you have waited only ter
minutes. And it has seemed an hour!
Pretty soon some other women come
| in. and YOU hail Them as particular
god -send. You look at there ruffles frlnges
and observe the fit of their pull-backs
and mentally criticisc their striped stock
| mos. and see that some buttons Are OF
/ their boots. and wonder if the tall ones
hair is false, and make up your mine
| that the short one crimps her front locks
on a pipe-stem, or a slate pencil.
Fat old party OF the male gender strolls
in. and after looking awhile at the time
| table. asks the ticket-seller what time the
tweleye o'clock train goesl Lean young
party of the female gender asks the same
thing. Ditto half dozen other people
some of whom may want to know, anc
some who ask just for the notion OF 1t.
Twenty minutes gone. Ten more {
wait You cannot retain from ask
inc the ticket-seller if he is sure the tran
viii be in at twelve promptly; and assures
YOU it willard adds the information
Trains on this road run as advertised:
| So YOU feel sure that, in spite OF col
Iisions and smash-ups. that train Will o.
| here at the time specified. Its 50 lovely
to have confidence in anything.
| Then YOU sit down, and look at tn
toes of your boots. and think they woult
be improved by little French dressing
| and YOU feel of your ticket to make surs
| il is there. and wonder why they do no
make kid gloves so they would not rip
and then you look at the clock, and, q
dear dear five minutes more to Walt.
| You open your reticule, and eat lev
of the peanuts yon have bought Tor IN
children, and throw the shells on the Zoo
with vague sort Of satisfactlon-as