The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-06-29


headache powders and jamaica ginger
and too.hache medicine and pepsin
and quinine. A hot.water bag seems
to be the biggest all-around comfort,
though. / could have made my for
tune renting out my hot-water bag last
winter, but week or two ago l gave
ii to little boy who had toothache,
and he punctured holes in it with his
knife so / haven't any hot-water bag
now. l reckon l won't need ii this
summer anyway. My, but l do 30
dread the hot weather, and everything
will be dirty, and the porters say the
passengers get awful cross and cranky
when it's hot. Then the babies and
the other children will be fretty, and l
don't know what I'll do with them"
ODD you have to take care of the
children?n
"Oh, yes, sometimes-when their
mother isn't well or wants to sleep or
read. Lots of folks don't take the
children out TO the dining car, and just
leave them with me. l tell you, l
have my hands full sometimes. I'm
real fond of children, but some of them
are afraid of being left with a stranger,
and others are just naturally naughty,
and they cry and fuss and tease until
l almost go crazy. / believe that tires
me more than any of the rest of my
work.
"Then, too get terribly tired being
on my feet so much. Unless / am too
busy about something important, l
have to walk through the train every
fifteen or twenty minutes just to see if
any one needs me. I'd like to know
how far l walk between here and
Chicago. You see, there are seven
cars, and twice the length of the train
is right smart distance. If you'd try
walking it every fifteen minutes from
six in the morning until eleven at
night, l reckon you'd understand why
| need rest.
"There is porter to every car, and,
of course, they have to make up the
berths; but aside from that their work
isn't as hard as mine. But then every
kind of work is hard and l like this
first rate. One morning lady rang
for me to go in and brush her clothes
and dress her little girl. Then she de.
cided might get her breakfast for her;
and when brought it she said, You're
very lucky, aren't, you to have this fine
place and nothing much to do? That's
the way some of them seem to look al
it; and it's sort of provoking.
at woull make you laugh to hear
the things the ladies tell me. They
get lonesome; and know they make
excuses to get me into their staterooms
just so they'll have some one to talk
to. Why, I've heard more family his
tories than you could pat in book
and some of them are mighty interest
ing, too; but l don't have much time
for just listening to conversation.
reckon the people think they'll never
see me again and l don't know then
and 30 they relieve their minds and tel
me everything they know. One nigh
last month woman on the train rang
for me about twelve O'Clock and sale
she was nervous and couldn't sleep anC
was afraid to be alone. She wanted
me to stay in her stateroom and she
talked TO me the whole blessed night
told me about her first husband anC
her divorce suit and the way she got 6
German baron for her daughter anC
how her son got mixed up in dread
full scandal and she sent him ou
to Montana on ranch. I reckon she
had real good time that night, for she
gave me SIS when she left us at Chi
cago."
The maids story was interrupted al
that point by voice singing "The
Onliest One" and beaming face ap
peared between the curtains.
"There's lady here" said the maid
reprovingly, but that didn't feaze the
porter. He only smiled more broadly
"You seem cheerful" the reporter
remarked with responsive grin.
"Has to be-" said the porter, genially
"Need it in our business. What 'ud
make porter downhearted 'ud strike
mos folks dead That's what desc
heah young ladies has got 10 learn"
"How do you like having the maids
take part OF your work."
"Fust rate, fust rate. l nevah die
get much money from ladies, and I'm
mighty glad to have dem off'n my
hans"
Don't most of the women give tips?'
Both the maid and the porter SHOOK
their heads emphatically.
"There aren't ten out of thirty who
give me anything said the maid, "ant
the porter says he gets tips from a
least twenty out of thirty gentlemen
II wouldnt care about the tips, though
if people would be pleasant abou
things. Some ladies are mighty nice
but we get some terrible cranks anG
they worry me till Pm most dead"
The porter's grin waxed sympathetic
"You mus jes' get used to dat" ht
said," encouragingly. 'All sorts comes
along, and you must take 'em as dey
comes. When dey gets to cavortin
aroun', jes' you keep a smilin' and say
ing, 'Ya'as ma'am, suahly ma'am,' ant
goin' ahead yoh own way. Eff l 60
excited ovah everybody dat knows how
) to ventilate dis cyar better'n do, my
missis 'ud be widow woman. Der,
jes' ain no use worryin' over ornery
folks, but it seems as eff woman cyan
learn dat fac no way."-New Yorl
Sun.
80, my friends there are some spec
tacles that one never fOrgetsin said