, 1889-02-20
CHAPTER XXXVL

The Americans havo suppressed distances
by bringing railway trains to perfection
You takc the ours after dinner to go a two
or three hundred miles journey. You pass
an hour or so in the smoking room, you go to
your berth, sleep the night through, and by
the timo you awake you are at your journeys
end.
In point Of comfort, the American trains
are to the French and English trains what
these latter are to the stnge coach Of bygono
days
Nothing can surpass tho comfort and
luxury of the Pullman cars, unless It be the
perfected Pullman that Is called the vestibule
train. Six or seven carriages, connecting
ono with another, allow of your moving
about freely over n length of some hundred
yards Dining room, sleeping car, drawing
room chr, smoking room, library, bath room,
lnvatory, tho whole fitted up In the most
luxurious style. What can one desire morei
1t is n hotel on wheels
There arc windows and vcntilators, but II
you open your window, you will sec your tel-
low travellers turn up their coat collars and
get down their shawls and furs, and you will
hear energetic grumblings, which will give
you to understand that you are turning your
self into a public calamity. The Americans
are shivery people, slowing themselves in n
bain-marie
Here, as well rs In the hotels and In I'LL con-
ditions Of American life, you arc at tho mercy
of servant There Is no remedy ut hand, no
appeal against it
In America you are supposed to know every
thinn- md no OnA will halp Tnl,es 80,
should happen to address yourself to well
bred people
II you ask a passcr-by in the street the near.
est way to the station, he walks as though he
understood you not The word station" is
English, but here you must talk American,
and say depot, pronounced deepo. The inva-
rinble answer you get to tho questions you
ask in the street is, 81 don't know" They
aro all like Joe, "they don't know nothink. ~
When a railway servant has succeeded in
insulting you, he Is quite proud, and plumes
himself ON his smartneSs; he looks ut his
mates and seems to say: did you hear how
spoke up to himF' He would DO afraid Of
lowering himself by being polite. In his eyes
~PoliteneSs is a form of servility, and he
imagines that, by being rude to wen bred PEG
pie, no puts himself on a footing with them.
You go to a railway ticket office TO book
for a certain place. Perhaps there are several
lines of railway running to your destination.
The clerk says, without looking at you, and
at the ratio of n thousand words n minute:
What Incl b and O., or S. F. and W.
r. r., or S. 7. L. and CIR
Il want n ticket for Chicago
81 ask whether you wish to go by tho
Here he once more repeats various parts Of
the alphabet, casting a look of pity at you
the While Do not believe no will translate
his A c Dhs into English. 1t is your place
to understand them.
Do not loso your temper, however; that
never pays In America. Tho natives would
only enjoy 1t Take the matter laughingly.
This Is the advice tho Americans gave me.
and l recommend it to you, II ever you are
similarly placed
was having a siesta one day in one of the
comfortable arm chairs Of q drawing room
car. when the conductor came along and
giving me a formidable thump. cried out In
the most savage tone;
aYour tickatIn