Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-01-17
A FABLE.
BY r. E. Il. T.
The Travelling Bag and the Lunch
BaSk ct.

Basket
''Women are peculiar !" said the Travelling
Bag, '.there is no use denying it. She has opened
me twelve times in half an hour; what for,
can't see. She doesn't always take things out.
believe she likes to hear my catch snap"
Perhaps" said the Lunch Basket; ''but watch
her with me-two sandwiches, two apples four
cakes, one orange and one banana since We
started, besides any quantity OF chocolate
first journey with lady. Do they always eat
like this 2"
.'she does it to occupy her mind, suppose,
said the Bag. Il have often noticed that people
eat when there is nothing else to do. saw it on
the steamer when we went abroad"
"Well hate it,. said the Basket. 1T looks
IKE travelling with ladies' anyway"
'.Like it," said the Bag. 81 should think not
indeed! They are never quiet moment. A
end OF us until the train stops, when he snatches
us up again and rushes off. But woman!
First she gets into the Pullman car, and wonders
where her seat is; can't find the number, and
won't believe the porter so looks over every
body's head or under everybody's feet until she
sees it herself"
..Wel really" laughed the Basket, 81 don'C
OF course, have travelled very little yet; but it
seems to me they try to put it just where people
s.Perhaps," said the Bag "put woman al
ways has to fuss just so much; the cause doesn't
make any great difference"
II hope She settles down now" said the Bas-
ket.
Mercy !" said the Bag: chow much you
have to learn, poor thing; this is only the be-
ginning. She takes her seat. but finds it sunny
and wants all the blinds pulled down; then she
tries to wedge her bag between two chairs, and
when the old gentleman in front of her wants
to wheel his seat around he can't because the
bag is in the way. He looks to find what is the
matter, but the lady takes no notice of him.
and he makes some exclamation to himself,
which we don't wish to repeat Then my lady
wants foot stool, and the porter cannot fad
for the moment. so of cOurSR she must have
it directly and cannot travel another moment
without it. At last, after making the porter
poke under everybodys chair, she gets up and
discovers it under her own, where it has been
all the time"
What women want foot stools for can't
see,'' interrupted the Basket; lone is always
stumbling over them In dark drawing rooms,
am told"
"Oh! it is a notion" said the Bag, sand ladies'
notions are very obstinate things That is the
reason they get their own way so often. Men
have not time to bother about whim, and so
they give up to it. 1t saves temper"
so b It the Basket. "we on
"Then," answered the Bag, 'she takes out
her novel and scent-bottle and is quiet for
While but pretty soon she feels the dust COM
ing in from an open yentilator, and although
be cloSed-the poor old gentleman in front of
her red as boiled lobster. Then she eats her
lunch and afterward wants the window opened
to throw away the apple-parings. By this time
the poor porter has wisely disappeared, so she
tugs and tugs in vain. At last she looks around,
in an injured way, and says: viii no gentleman
assist me?'"
women never DO understand catches" said
the Basket; $50 men say; explain lock to them
dozens OF times, and they will always pull the
wong way"
"Quite true" said the Bag; 'well, one of the
gentlemen in the car gets the window open for
her and shuts it afterward. Then she is thirsty
tce-cooler, swaying into everybody Dy the way
and comes back with her cup full of water,
spilling plenty of it and waking the old gentle
man out of a sound sleep by small deluge on
his bald head. Presently the conductor comes
for the tickets, and hers can't be found, al
though she has shown it before. She looks for
it in her purse, in her bag, In her lunch-baSket,
in her pocket, and at last, when the conductor
loses all patience, finds it inside her glove very
much mashed, where she had put it for safe
keeping"
any more. You make me feel faint. We have
journey of ten hours before us. Why don't
women stay at homer"
dear me!' said the Bag; ''you talk like prov
erbS-women don't stay at home any more;
that's exploded long ago-havent you read the
papers? They are trying to be just like men,
and so, of course, they travel to see the world,
you know
"How can one see the world by opening win
dows,, eating bananas and bothertng conduc.
tors?" said the ne Bag M9W II they looked at
50 Scenery !" laughed the Bag precious few
people care for scenery in this age: they want
to get over as much ground as possible; that's
all. If they can only say they have been to
place it seems enough. Why, our lady slept all
the way over the Simplon when we were in
Switzerland, and knew no more about 1t than
the things in her trunk did. But never mind,
she had been there, so she was satisfied"
But" said the Basket, ''doeS travelling pay?
/ would rather eat and sleep at home comfort
ably"
People think it pays, suppose" said the
Bag. ''They do it at any rate. You know one
need only go through the motion Of things now.
They are quite DUMB really, but if they make
the signs people are content. What they see
in travel doesn't matter; they may go to sleep
or eat oranges; they have made the signs. that's
enough"
"Sfgns seem to give great deal of trouble"
said the Basket; ''but suppose shall get used
to it. Dear me She is going to eat another ap-
pie ~ Ihilddephid Press.