The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1881-06-09
"OFF THE TRACK In A SLEEP.
..-. .s ER.,o

the last trunks into the baggage-car.
and the engine began to blow of steam
as engines will do before starting, when
one would think they wanted all their
breath to start the heavy load behind
them.
From the open window of one of the
sleeping-cars the Mack family were
wildly waving their handkerchiefs and
kissing their hands to sn old gentleman
who was standing on the platform and
doing exactly what they were doing.
But soon the train wound its great
length around the curve ike gigantic
serpent, and the last faint cries of
.sGood-by, grandparr were drowned In
the roar of the cars.
The Mack family, consisting of Mrs.
Mack, two boys, two girls and baby
(Which was also girl but too young to
COUNTY. two coiored nurses, four trunks,
and . baby-carriage, were bound for
Manaman Beach, where they were to
spend the last month of the summer.
Travelling IN sssleeper" was new
experience for the children; and, con-
trary 70 their usual custom, they were
all very anxious for bedtime TO come,
for they could not make out just where
they all were to sleep-all, that Is. ex-
cert the baby, who was fortunately
ssas good as goldm-that Is, fast asleep
all the time Nobody noticed her, she
was SO good; but before the journey
ended that baby was herself the center
Of 3 good deal Of alarm and excite
ment. sH Ds4 aslaE es1 ~ .sus
1t was Roger who enjoyed the jour
ney the most-Roger, the eldest of the
sfamily, but only twelve for all that. To
be sure he would have preferred to ride
on the engine, or, failing that. in the
baggage-car; but after all q sleeping
car was not common car, and he felt
some curiosity to know now 1t felt to
sleep in q berth. OF course Roger
knew all about bsrths. for he was rail-
road boy. There wasn't much about
this road that he didn't know. He
could say the local timetable far better
than the multiplication table He could
tell you the number of any engine on
the road by its whistle, and most of
them by the tone of their bells. He
was on friendly terms with several of
the engineers and firemen, and could
call by name nearly every conductor
and brakeman on the line.
On this particular train he had found
an old friend in q brakeman named Kit.
If you were to ask Roger what Kits
other name was, he would stare ut you
and think you uncommonly foolish to
ask such question.
.9s.s There only one Kit on this road. I"
he would say. We don't call them by
their other name unless there's two Of
them; and then we don't always, for
there's two Jims we call Lame Jim and
Little Jim, and there's Old Bill and Bill
Squints s-Squints amt his name, but he
does il, and so we call him it. But we
l. k<ar rnr,t a
road, the boy would add. as if the
sroadp belonged to him.
BY half-past nine the children's curl
osity was quite satisfied. Mrs. Mack
had comfortably slowed her little fam
ily away in their berths-she and Aunt
Rachel, each with . bed-fellow, occu-
pying two lower berths, while Lou. the
colored girl, with the baby, was in one
of the upper berths, and the two boy.
climbed into the other one.
Roger and Willie, however, could mo-
think of going to sleep until an inn
portant question that had arisen wa.
settled. Willie hsd heard that peopl,
on steamships slept in berths, and hs
wanted Roger to pretend that the,
were on board ship and starting on
voyage round the world; but Roger
who had read "Dick Rodneyt ant
other tales about midshipmen and stow
Always, stoutly maintained that sailor
slept IN hammocks. Whatever sailor
slept in, it was very plain, not only Z
mamma, but also to the passengers i
the berths next to theirs. that neithe
they nor the Mack boys would sleep i
peace until the matter was settled
Roger himself seemed to think it woul
s be good thing to decide the poin
3 right there, for at last he poked hi
head through the curtains and called {
: his mother:
Mamma, Willie says sailors slee
in berths. They don't, do they? The
sleep in hammocks; don't theyP"
Eyes, dear, yes" answered mamm
from behind her curtains.
.But they do sleep in berths; dom
theyP" asked Willie, earnestly.
ssYes, yes, dear. You're both right,
replied Mrs. Mack. anxious to satisf
both of them. "Now, do go to sleeT
there's good boys.
"But, mamma =" began Roger agai
when suddenly deep bass voic,
that sounded as If it came from SOM
where down among the wheels of th
car, interrupted him:
" Sailors sleep in hammocks, an
passengers in berths. You are bot
right. so go to sleep like good boys"
This mysterious decision, though
was not quite what they could hay
wished. made the two boys forget the
dispute, and, after consulting togeth,
In whispers for q few minutes about Il
strange voice, they went to sleep st
thinking of it.
On and on the great train sped whi
the passengers slept. Through Il
darkness, with one great blazing eye
light the way, the big engine, breathir
4. fire like q huge dragon, pulled ar
shrieked and changed, rushing pa
towns and villages and lonely farr
houses. Once only it stopped for q fe
minutes to take few great gulps
water, and then it started again hea
long into the black night, as If the coo
ing drink had given it new life ar
strength, as, indeed, it had.
BY and by, as it flew over the rail
the sun arose and climbed the sky. NJ
presently signs of life began TO
heard and seen in the sleeper" Fir
stockinged foot would beslyly pok'
out from behind the curtains. follows
Immediately by its fellow; then q han
would appear and grope about blind
for shoes; and soon an untidy hea
with an equally untidy body behind
comes forth. and the first man up hu
ries away to the dressing-room to
the first chance at the wash-basin.
The Mack party was early asst
Mamma was up and was dressing Kos
in the ladies' room, and Lou had lt
the little baby asleep in its berth al
was helping Julie. who. though Z
years old, was quite unable to put b
elethss on in such eranped quarter