The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-06-25
MRS. JOHN TRAVELS.
SHE OBSERVES AND is FILLED WITH
REFOEM IDEAS.

casm, bat She Went Right Along Pull
ing Things to Pieces and Showed That
She Knew What She Was Talking About
1T was rather funny on the dining cur
yesterday" remarked Mrs. John whilo I
was dissccting,thc tall piccc of shad for
her Mt dinner last night, "to see tho wait
or's disappointment when we won't In 1
neon tho waiter Mt whose table we took
seats"
Mrs. John had been away with her Sis
ecr-in-law on little journey, and was
prepared to be RECALLED with her adventures,
SO continued my dislocation of tho flsh's
backbone and did not interrupt
You see, :" she went on, nibblinR q piece
Of bread, "a couple of men were right be-
hind us, and the waiter of tho middle table
where we wanted to sit didn't look our
way, hoping no doubt we would pass by
and the men would stop. But wc sat
down, and Helen and / caught an exprcs-
sivc wink between our waiter and the ono
who got the men. Ours evidently thought
he was caught for long course dinner
with no fee Mt tho end of it, and we were
provoked and decided to teach him q les
son.
oh" said rs Mrs. John hesitated
Yes, we planned it whilo he was gone
water right away, first ono bottle, then an
other, just to show him ewcrc accustomed
to extras''-
"Ah" interrupted, but no attention
was paid to it.
And at tho ond VIC dubbed together
and gave him u dollar. You should have
seen his face and we watched those men
too. They didn't order thing extra and
they gave tho walter quarter between
them
"Miscrcantsl' felt bound to circulate.
"Oh, you're laughing ut me, but we
wanted to show that waiter we could fee
even If we wcro women. Such shabby
thing Us that wink WASH
1T seems to have brought him rather O
good RETURN" 1 vcnturcd
Mrs. John dcigned no reply. She was
dressing tho salad, an operation which al
ways absorbs hor. Presently she resumed:
Going out, you know, we staid all
night Mt Buffalo, and, by the way" this u
littlo scornfully, II should think mans
ingenuity could devise some means to
wakcn one person in n hotel without rous-
ing whole floor Of slccpcrs.'
"Can womnn's?'' 1 asked. with what
was meant for an engaging smile.
ut can indeed. Helen and I talked it
over. There could be bell touched in the
office to ring at the head of the bed, OF q
whistle might bc fitted to the kcyhole
which would sound only in tho ROOM
Or bomb might be gently waited
through tho transOm warranted to explode
only on the left pillow added
Mrs. John laughed. "If you're going
to be llippant, shan't give you any more
of my suggestions. I'm going to submit
them to some one Interested. 1t WINS bar
barous tho way Helen and wcrc disturb
nd 4 E,Dn i
corridor was aroused because three persons
wished to he called
There was another thing wo objected
to, too on tho sleeping car on the way
home, and that was tho berth curtains.
There certainly could DO something better
provided to screen tho bcrths than those
thick, creepy curtains"
"Name it, " promptly cried.
We'll, believe L can. Why couldn't n
sort of venetian blind be let down thnt
could be regulated from tho inside? 1t
could be weighted to hung firm, and there
would be n chance for II little ventilation,
and that annoying catching of dresses and
clothes when any one is walking through
the car would be done away with Such
screens would be much more sanitary and
clcanly, too than the stuffy drapcrics that
gather dust and what not from every
nights service, and only half loso the nc
cumulation ut their cleaning
Mrs John was so serious that 1 only
dared to suggest that she communicate
her ideas ut once to some sleeping car OIL
cial
II may" she quickly rcjoined, land
when do 1 shall right some other things
too. The ventilation of the car, for cx-
ample. After we wcro all up yesterday
morning the car remained sitting in its
floSnnnsS nd inn
porter, and he knocked open every venti-
lntor and shut off the heat. Pretty soon
the air became very cold. I venturcd an
other suggestion, and, with n cross look,
no Knocked shut every ventilator and turn
cd on the heat. In short time we were
baking
II didn't daro say anything more, but
presently some one did, and again every
thing was opened, and tho temperature
suddenly lowered 20 degrees These proc
esses werc repeated all day and all of tho
time there wns u thermometer hanging Oh
rod across the aisle of the car that almost
hit the portcr's woody head every time he
passed it, watched it anxiously, hoping
1t would. But 1t always swung just above
him and he never once glanced in its di-
rcction."
Mrs. John paused, and l lighted q ciga-
rctte.
My dear" said indulgcntly rs the
Irst whiifs began their agreeable work, "if
you can reform the parlor or sleeping car
porter relieve his Grass stupidity, inocu-
late him with few hairs OF industry or
In any way mitigate or abate his intolera-
bic good for nothingncss, your name will
be writ upon tablets of brass by a grateful
travelling public"
II shouldn't try to reform him, " was
her quick reply, He is hopeless. should
abolish him.
looked my surprise through wrcaths of
smoke.
Yes, " she went on earnestly, land
should replace him with "a strong, trim