The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-08-14
ON SECOND THOUGHT
BY JAY E. HOUSE.
(From Philadelphia Public Ledgsf.D


Under the Spreading Chestnut Tree.
Saratoga, Aug. 4.
This country is full of tired, harass-
ed-looking men and women upon
whose countenances resignation is in
pie who heard, ten years or so ago,
that going about in a motorcar was
grand way to see the country. They
got in last night shortly after o'clock
too late to get into the dining room
of the American-plan hotel for din
ner. They were up and away at 6:SO
o'clock this morning. Otherwise they
would have been unable to get into
kankakee or Cohoes or Alliance by
nightfulI Even So the dining room
probably was closed when they got
there. a lady in the hotel at Kingston
this morning spoke feelingly and not
without heat concerning the joys of
motoring. She was a lovely lady and
in no way fatiguing to gaze upon. She
wore pearl necklace and was literal
ly incrusted with diamonds. She said
they'd been out seven days and it had
''rained every damn day" Luckily
they were on their way home to New
York, only seventy-six miles distant
She and Adelaide had talked back and
forth. She asked Adelaide where we
were from. Adelaide told her. 81
was in Germantown once" she said,
and that was enough for me-" There
are those who would have construed
that remark as uncomplimentary to
Germantown, specifically speaking.
and to Philadelphia in a general way.
I got no such reaction from it As 1
construed it. having been in German
town, she found it so delightful that
She had no desire to explore further.
or farther-whichever it is.
Life breaks about fifty-fifty. Motor
ing is about 1925, with the odds
against the player. There is" as
Samuel E. Merwin has aptly re-
marked. always something" We
nave mad no trouble at all-not as a
motorist counts trouble. But in
Stroudsburg on Saturday night 1 took
a fool notion to have the car washed.
/! should have known better; L have
mad the car washed before. The
colored gentleman in the garage as
sufed me 1 could have the car at 8
O'Clock, which was the hour 1 had
selected to get away. Adelaide always
plans to start at o'clock, but we
never really get away until 8, which
~ the hour I prefer. 1 think the
colored gentleman meant we'll l think
he began washing the car right after
breakfast. But he didn't finish until
a quarter to IL, and it was noon when
We drove out of town. We drove into
Kingston early without further incl
dent and got into the hotel before the
dining room closed. But this morning
O'Clock before we were on the way
to Albany. 1t rained all the way, but,
metaphorically speaking, there wasn't
a cloud in the sky. I was for the
moment in a happy mood and
'kidded" gayly with the elderly gen.
tleman in the automobile bureau who
routed us thru the Adirondacks.
told him I was a leisurely driver and
cared to go no further than Lake
George today. And so, laughing light
IL Il =
l stepped on the accelerator and dis
covered that the battery was dead. 1t
had passed out without a sign, leaving
no word to its friends. The mechanic
whom ] finally persuaded to listen to
reason thought it would take two
hours. But I give him credit. He
handed me back thirty-Six minutes in
change, and at o'clock we drove into
Saratoga in pouring rain. 1t was
deemed au fat to Turkish up bit for
dinner. When I essayed to dress dis
covered 1 had failed to pack either
hosiery or braces. Naturally, you will
wish to know how L managed it. I
really don't care to'say.. But motoring
is like that.
Mostly, those who motor talk of
scenery. Probably those who write of
motoring would write of scenery If
they saw any. But no man who tools
a car over the country roads sees any
scenery. All he secs is rough coastinS
ahead and a flock of cockroaches
bearing down upon him from the dis
lance. He knows if he doesn't shove
the nose of his car straight at the
foremost every cockroach in the
bunch will drive him into the ditch.
Adelaide has been doing a delight
full monologue touching upon the re-
spective beauty of the scenery along
the upper Delaware and that along
the Hudson. She gives it to the upper
Delaware and holds that. considered
purely as a picture, the Delaware
from Plumleighville to Easton equals,
If it does not SurDaSS the valley of