The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-09-03
wide Awake on a sleeper.
WHAT DUDLEY WARNER SAW AND DIDN'T Sci
on JOURNEY.

Wide Awake ON n sleeper.
WHAT DUDLEY WARNER SAW AND DIDN'T SEE
on A JOURNEY.
Charles Dudley Warner contributes to the
last number OF Good Company a sketch oil
bis ride In the Pullman sleepers on his way
from Connecticut to Chicago. When be
awoke from his first nights rest on the
sleeper it was early morning in Eastern
New York, and the coach had stopped in
front OF farmhouse.
The occupants OF the house and stables
gave no signs OF awakening. Perhaps they
heard in their morning doze the accustomed
whirr and halt OF the Pacific express at that
hour, but didn't give thought TO the
freight Of immortal souls at their door, that
carload OF beauty and wealth and, perhaps,
genius, certainly OF ambition, which would
never pass that way again. Then he won
ders who i'm the house would be astir first,
the hired man arousing the maids by The
clatter Of his big boots on the stairs, or the
kitchen maid stealing down and fiingiDg
open the back door opening upon the Or
chard to sniff the blooming clover; or
wonld the old farmer come gruntiDg out
OF his chamber on the lower floor, throw
weather eye TO the east from the
front porch, and then stump about
depends upon the beginning, and how
would the family life begin this morning
Perhaps the young lady, home on her yaca-
tion from Vas'ar, was at this moment peep
ing through the blinds OF the second-story
window, taking the scent OF the honey
suckle, the blossoms OF which she could
reach by leaning little over the sill. 1t is
out of Just such retreats that the raying
beauties come. Perhaps her brOther-w
is not to be called il he sleeps till noon
has brought cOmrade home with him from
Union, and the coeducation OF the sexes
will 20 on after all in the Mohawk farm
house.
Perhaps the young lady was listening-in
semi-conscousness on her snowy pillOw-tO
the bewildering and inspiring overture OF a
hundred birds in the clump OF naples on
the sIop beneath her window. The air was
full of this concert in the silence that en-
sued on the pause Of the rain, and 1t was
this iubilant brd.sineing that caused me to
raise the curtain. OF course had no pre-
monition OF this charming family, whose
acouaintance should never make. A low
stone wall ran along the roadside, support
ing the terrace, and draped in vines fresh
with dew. II was an emblem to me OF the
solidity and grace OF this retiring family.
| was beginning to build upon this idea,
and regrelting that some OF the most at
tractiye places in the world are TO us only
water stations, places OF departure, where
| The ereak Of the coupling and the Jerk OF the
car announced the jar and the swing OF our
continued travel, and the young woman
from Vassar became like any other sweet
girl graduate, whose aggregate existence In
the world fills us with gentle pam at the
81. aTt nf
nifty.
know OF no other place like the lower
berth of a sleeping-car for meditation, do
zing. and happiness in the early morning.
To look at the flying landscape from your
inflow is not the same thing as looking at it
when YOU sit upright. You do not seem to
he fastening forward yourself, but the
world is coming to meet you, ana coming
in n hurry. You feel that you are being
ierked onward. but you see the clouds, the
masses OF trees. the farm houses, and the
fences rushing the other way in Kind OF
commotion that is urgent. The liveliness
and the stir OF preparation that |
noticed in the upper sky while we tarried
with the birds and the Vassar girl,
now all took one direction. The trees were
ne mobile as the clouds. The strip OF sky
and earth visible was extended in depth to
me. but narrowed, flattened, il | may say
so. and become panoramic in character like
strip Of csnvas rapidly drawing along.
And every moment as 1t fled by the sha-
dows were growing fainter and the light IN
the east was vulgarizing the scene, I'LL the
illusion OF q newly-cre1ted earth was qulte
gone, and recognized the world as knew
IL. possessed and utilized, actually named,
every foot OF il, as such country or snch
| town, or such street ana ROAD. Ine
world was astr Man had come upon the
scene. How much manhood and indepen-
dence was there in these farm-houscs and
| villages we were encounterlng with every
revolution Of the wheel!
All night long had been dimly conscious
OF the Numbering pounding OF freight
| trains; and as lay here In the gray OF the
morning my window was darkened every
now and then by the numbering bulk OF this
moving traffic, flashes OF red, and green,
and blue, and white, with big lettering,
latticed cattle-cars. lumber platforms. coal
hnnks. and oil tanks. AS we went west the
signs OF gross traffic increased. Long trains
were ALWAYS coming and going on these
ouadruple tracks. At the large stations, on
parallel sidings, stood rows and rows OF
loaded and empty ireight-cars, waiting their
opportunity. AT Rochester, where lines
diverge. the passenger.coaches were
massed. long lines OF the royal yel.
low of the Central, and ranks OF
the gailv.painted night-coaches and draw
ing.room cars-a village OF them-sug-
vesting the vast rivers OF travel that
Steam away over the West the unceaslng
tide OF passengers that night and day all the
wear round penetrate the empire by hum
dred routes on errands OF business and
Measure. These coaches are for Detroit,
these for Chicago, these for St. Louis and
tho Southwest, these for San Francisco.
Such an opportunity OF going everywhere IN
luxury OF accommodation unknown else
where in the world is bewldering to an
eastern man accustomed TO small trains
and scant provision Of palace-cars. The
traveller also begins 10 study the uni
formed army OF railway employees,
station agents, conductors, and train-men.
The noisy brakeman in his shirt-sleeves has
disappeared. The solitary conductor,
the former curt autocrat OF the train, Is no
longer so conspicuous. There are swarms
az . conductors - every palace and sleep
| ino.coach has one, and there are porters ana
servants for the travellers every need. III
| ia n mistaken observation that all these
:. conductor" aud train.men look alike
that they are nearly all large and sleek,
welI-fed and good-natured, with no inten-
tion OF bullying the unfortunate traveller
who Is permitted To pass their way.
AT tie Suspension bridge there are more
cars assembled-a sort OF confluence OF ears
crowded together like the meeting OF TIE
waters In the deep cbasm OF the raging
river. And no sooner have we come into
Canada tnan the long traius OF another traf