Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1907-09-14
NTWO Ways to Travel
By Annie Hamilton DOnner.

"a TRUE sToRY.)
~.~OHmDO1DOG@DS~S

AS AOAb Nlulh hlSW lulO lIl6 lJlH-
ner Station" and hungry people be-
gan to bestir themselves. Families
and couples and single persons
stepped brlskly down the aisle and
across the broad platform toward the
| Dinner Frances and Bruce and
Willie Wisp were hungry people but
they did not bestir themselves. Their
dinner was in the basket in mothers
seat and did not begin with a capital
D-only splendid ones eaten at
round tables, in great rooms with
walters flying about, began with cap
itals.
"Oh, dear" softly sighed Frances,
II wish we were rich!"
so do l." sighed Bruce, but not
softly. Then we'd go cross there
too, and eat our dinner out of plates
and knives and forks"
And we'd step down out of our
parlor-car-not this common-car-
and when the conductor said, All
aboard we'd fold up our napkins
like everything and run back to the
parlor-car and sit in big soft seats.
Frances eyes were wistful, she was
| thinking especially of Loubelle Weir.
Loubelle was in the parlor-car or else
| across there in the great clattery,
chattery, station restaurant. They
had seen her get on the train, step
ping daintily in her beautiful white
clothes. Her mother and a maid had
walked behind her. Then the parlor-
car had hidden her, and they them
selves had stepped up onto this COM
mon-car, with mother and the big
| basket behind.
Dinners ready" mother called
from her seat. She had white tow
ell spread on the seat beside her, and
grandmother's biscuit and cookies
and little round tarts laid out on it.
She was smiling gayly.
The three children crossed the aisle
and sat down facing mother. They
were hungry and grandmother
things tasted good, but there was a
little bitter flavor to them all, just
as If grandmother had made a mis-
take and favored them with extract
OF envy instead of vanilla. While they
sat and soberly munched, they were
thinking of Loubelle Weir and her
dinner with capital D, and of the
parlor-car.
Il wish we would travel 'risto-
cratic'ly!" burst out Bruce at length,
unable to restrain himself. II wish
we were in parlor-car. l don't like
travelling in common cars"
Il don't either" Frances agreed,
little less unanimously. "Pd rath-
er have white dress on and sit in
lovely cushioned chair with plenty
of room"
I'D ravver, too-so'd / ravver,"
chimed in Willy Wisp, eager to join
the majority. II wanter travel in a
cushion chair"
Then we'd be with the incest kind
OF folks" Frances took it up again,
mot with all kinds like this. 1t
would be lovely to be with the incest
kind"
Il know" Bruce cried, wed go on
flyer then and just fly! Wouldn't
we go on a flyer, mother, if we were
rich? We wouldn't go creeping along
this way, would we? No, sir!"
How would you like to travel at
the rate of two miles an hour-in a
cupboard-with the pigs?"
The children turned like one child.
The voice was deep and pleasant and
came from directly behind. A kind
old face, framed in white hair and
beard, was nodding at them over the
seat-back.
well, how would you like that?"
repeated the deep voice. Because
l know of three children that tray
eled that way. They were relatives
OF mine"
The people from the restaurant
were drifting back into the car, but
the children did not see them. They
only saw the kind old man who said
such remarkable things. His rela-
tives in a cupboard-with pigs!
And he was such a nice-looking old
man and did not look poor at all. 1t
did not seem possible that his rela-
tiyes-
IF you are through with your din
ner and your mother is willing, come
into my seat and l will tell you how
1t happened" the deep voice went
on pleasantly.
AS they went they had a glimpse
through the window of Loubelle Weir |
crossing the station platform towards
her parlor-car. The maid stepped
daintily behind.
1T was quite a little while ago
about hundred and fifty years." the |
old gentleman began, his eyes twink |
ling down at them. my great-grand- |
mother was about as old as you, |
should say" nodding at Frances, |
"and she had two brothers younger
still. Her father and mother moved |
from one little town to another.
There were no railroads, and they |
must go in carts drawn by gentle, |
plodding oxen-all the family and all |
the furniture Zoo
And the children--the story has |
come down very straight-did not go |
in the parlor cart There was huge |
old cupboard with a door above and
door below, with a partition be-
tween the divisions. 1t is in exist |
ence now. l have seen it many a
time. Well. the children's father
laid this great cupboard down on its
back in the ox-cart and proceeded to
pack the three children in one of its
compartments, and the pigs"-the
old gentleman paused dramatically
''the pigs in the other!
And that was the way they trav-
eled all the way to the new home
jog-jog, jog-jog. jog-jog. They must
have bumped about and the pigs must
have sQuealed How would you have
liked that2 Not very luxurious
way to travel. was 1t? But, do you