The National tribune., 1909-12-09

bigger and stronger of these gave the
heavy flold-all, and to the other the
suitcase, and, carrying EliZabeth's bag
myself, with them staggering under
their heavy burdens, we started to find
the train. The train was long. very,
and as soon as We reached it these
babies naturally wanted to enter every
single carriage we came to. 1 had to
keep continually shooing them off and
urging them on. and finally, to my in
expressble relief I saw Elizabeth wav-
ing hand to me from the window of a
compartment, laughing as if she would
expire. "Oh, you did look so funny
coming along with those children" she
said, "yankins them away from the
steps of the carriages, with an express
sion on your face that even old Atlas,
with the whole world on his shoulders,
couldn't beat. You can't imagine how
deadly in earnest and frightfully wOr-
ried you looked, and l shall never forget
to my dying day the sight of you. with
those two infants just out of swaddiing
clothes tugging at the hold-all and suit
case" and she went off into another
paroxysm, in which l confess ]. too,
Joined, for I could see myself that it
must have been funny sight.
We'll, that was all the fun we had
that night, and don't you forget it,
favorite niece. The very best seats
Elizabeth could secure were small and
uncomfortable ones in a compartment
with two men and a boy, the latter a
pale-faced, thin-legged, large-headed
child of possibly Il years. We rather
imagined they were Poles, and what
ever they were talking about it must
have been something frightfully excit-
ing, for they acted like crazy people
1t was rather good fun watching them
for little while, they were so drama
nf hn
shaven face and bcady black eyes par
ticularly so. He would thrust his face
fairly into that of the other man. with
much shaking of hand in the air, and
every infection of voice from a hiss to
a squeak or shrek, and into this babel
the boy would project his shrill tenor,
which almost drowned the other two.
It was curious about this child. He
took about as much part in the con-
versation as they did, and when he
finally succeeded in getting the floor
they listened to him with perfect at
tention. Generally they were all talk
ing at once, and words are really in
adequate to describe the scene. 1t was
pandemonium set loose with a VEN
geance. Never for a moment did they
stop to take breath, and every instant
the shrill, nerve-racking voice of this
child broke in upon and mingled with
the shrieks of the men. The fact that
two ladies occupied the compartment
with them made no difference what
ever, any more than did the thunder
black looks j turned every moment up
on them. When Elizabeth, already on
edge from the varied experiences of the
day, gave a sort of hysterical laugh, /
confess l was almost afraid her brain
had been unable to endure the strain,
but Elizabeth is made of sterner stuff
than that. The hours wore on, and
finally nature asserted itself and sleep
overpowered these mad fellow-travelers
of ours, tho, if you will believe me,
when they were not more than half
awake they threw occasional remarks
at each other with their heads resting
on the cushioned back of their seats
and their eyes closed. At last they
were fairly Off, and Elizabeth turned TO
me and said simply, but with an in
tensity of expression words fail to ex-
press: THANK Cod"
We reached Christiania at 1890, and
found no carriage from the Westmin-
ster, to which we had written for
rooms. awaiting us, tho two boys from
the hotel were at the station, one of
whom spoke little English. We were
obliged to hang around some time be-
fore we could get a carriage, which
was rather trying at that hour of the
night and tired ont as we were, but we
did at last get one, and were soon at
the hotel There we lost no time in
retiring, and this morning we are feel
yesterday. We are going out now, as
soon as finish this. and what we think
of Christiania, which is real city,
will tell you in my next letter.
Lovingly,
sailor Aunt"