Norwich bulletin., 1921-06-11
A LoNG-TO-BE-REME TRIP
 TO CANTERBURY.


 Dear Friends of The Corner: Some years ago our editor suggested letters of travel, so I will. tell of an experience ! had recently, as I would like a little in- formation on the subject With other | friends we visited relatives in Canterbury, | going by the way of Norwich and Plain i field, as there was good state road all | the way. While putting our wraps, | for the return journey, one of the party ! suggested we take shorter route going back, and said there was a crossroad | that would bring us out in Windham. I timidly mentioned we try that new way some time by daylight, but was silenced by one of the men folks replying: Why, | it is only o'clock; we shall be nearing our home in Willimantic before it is very ldark." (You know, even if we can. vote,
 they don't think much of our advice at | such time) We followed the directions
 nicely until we left Brooklyn. Soon things did not look just right. The only tive
 persons we met after that did not seem to know much more about it than we did. They both agreed there was a road some where They believed there was a few miles of bad travelling but they guessed
 we could get through all right"
 So, hoping to remember the turns they
 thought we should take, we went on again. Those crossroads were like a Chinese puzle; they seemed to run in all direc- tions By the light of matches the guide !; boards were consulted, but many of them l were down or the directions obliterated. The houses grew few and far between, many unoccupied or unlighted By this time it was very dark. ile way grew more narrow and there was more and 7 more mud, as we had been having several l days of rain. Suddenly we saw a red 3 light ahead. We found the road partly
 closed with the danger signal. We could neither turn around nor back out, so after ; a careful investigation on foot by the I driver in we started. Chug-down went t the wheels in a mudhole. first on one side T then on the other, then on both sides. and = for miles we fully realized the ups and n downs of life" I knew if the engine and : gasoline held out we should come out h somewhere but there were times I'll aG- @ init I felt like saying Now I lay me S down to sleep for the good of both body 8 and soul.
 d I learned that night that my son had s probably inherited his mothers fine dis. Il position When I heard the mud drip.
 ping from the wheels of that brand new r Buick Chat is the apple of his eye), ant l. not a word of protest, I was amazed
 Fortunately we met with neither team no1
 auto. As they haven't as yet perfected
 them to jump over, or crawl under, wt
 might have had to wait for daylight be o fore passing. Finally we saw a group O - lights to the left Oh, yes, one of thu ;+ party knew now where we were w VI were coming into Windham by what il
 called the back road" But alas, we cam, a no nearer to them, and they soon disap ia peared as we journeyed on. The next W, d knew our road seemingly ended in some d ones dooryard our repeated knocking 70 failed to arouse anyone. and, remember d ing passing lighted house on hill bacl d from the road, we turned back and climb
 cd to their door, which flew open, and ,+ man appeared with a lantern. He ha, ii been watching the gyrations of the head "a lights in the valley below To our in ts quiry as to where we were he said 'Yo 70 are in q part of Towards Valley, and tn nearest way home is through Hampton.
 Did you ever when you drove old Dob ,o bin (before the days of autos) find your Y, self almost holding your breath and fair = sciously trying to tighten the load, as h Y, toiled up a hard hill? That was the wa
 I felt when we struck the state road. an
 I could settle firmly in the seat with m sigh of relief. We reached home abou r., ,a 10 o'clock.
 Now, will someone kindly tell me wher if we were wandering those four hours? Tn n- lady who suggested the shorter route prt ra sented my son with a nice f1ashlight tn is next day. So please petition for ne' -a guideboards if you know where we wer
 l thank the editor for the yellow sli ar that l found in my mail box last mont m PRACTICAL POLLY