Evening star., 1930-12-14

trip to Europe. First class, mind you,
IL and for family of five. None of those
tourist tips. either. The Magnus
family, the three boys, Dora and Pop, were not
going to be tied down to schedule or belong to
any travelling delegation with tourist" labeled
all over them.
They departed Meyersville one perfect June
morning with what they called an elastic
itinerary" and, except for the necessary pre-
caution of booking passage one of the
largest liners for outgoing and returning dates,
laid plans to wander as the wind did blow.
What with Dora whose pretty brown eyes all
her life had been fixed upon the vision of Paris
shops in which to wander; Steve, her eldest
who dreamed of becoming civil engineer and
must see the great engineering featS of the old
world; Bobbie, the second boy, who was bound
he would collect hotel labels from 10 European
metropoliSes Leonard. only H. who wanted to
see the Alps that had been crossed by Napoleon,
there were plenty of reasons for the Magnus
family to travel ad lib Even Pop who de-
clared that with everything so new to him it
did not matter much what he saw first ex-
pressed great desire to visit Sheffeld, Eng
land, as early as possible in the itinerary. 1t
not unnatural that one in the retail hard
ware business a period of % years should
harbor desire to see Sheffield.
TT was worth it, all right, that trip, Pop kept
assuring himself every minute and every inch
of the way. Why just to be able to buy a map
of the city off one of those venders perpetually
haunting the sightseeing busses of practically
every town visited was worth the price of the
trip itself Great thing for man to be able to
afford his youngsters the finest opportunities to
sharpen their young minds. No education like
travel! And the wife! To see her in Paris was
worth every ache in every bone of his body.
Dora just blcorned that's what Dora did
Great thing travel. man got fed up on the
being soaked part. No use denying that. Ger
tainly is the limit the way they tried to put it
over on the Americans. And for his part Pop
wasn't going to pretend anything about the
galleries! Fine thing for Dora and the growing
boys Why, travel made conversationalist of
one, and Pop did net intend to have his boys
ignoramuses, like the embarrassed young men
on the backs of magazines who had not pur-
chased certain sets of books.
Those advertisements on the backs of maga-
zines had directed at Pop more than one secret
,ibc. You canncte teach old horse new
tricks, or undoubtedly he at his time of life
would have set about to correct his own de-
ficiencies. Well, thank goodness, Dora sweet
one, did not seem to mind his social short
comings But the boys were going to have
their chance Galleries might not BE- the place
for man of so with callouses and back of
the neck that seemed to be the nesting place of
cricks. but it was a pleasure just to loaf around
the streets and hotel lObbieS waiting while
Dora and the boys did the galleries or Ma
poleon's tomb or that of the Unknown Soldier
Something to remember for a lifetime. Some
thing worth having saved up for during a life
time.
There were, of course, minor catastrophes
The second month out, Steve developed
tendon in his left heel which made it difficult
for him to wall: tne miles OF galleries, and half
the time he mapped in the hotel while Dora
and the other boys made the rounds
Then, too, luck would have it, Martin
Pops most valued e,np!oyc of 20 years standing
fell from ladder and broke his hip and that
left the store practically in the hands of young
Monroe, a salesman Of comparatively recent
standing, in whom Pop placed no great con-
fdence.
PUT on the principle that this was probably
the trip of lifetime, Pops and Dora's
lifetime at least and certainly one which the
boys could not hope to repeat for many a year
to come, Pop wrote 50-page letter of instruc-
tions to Monroe and proceeded to discipline
himself to forget business"
Vienna a fine towni Except for the
fact that no one seemed ever to have heard of
"Wienerwurst!' 1t was a treat to be able TO
sit out in front of cafe and for a few pfenng
drink as fine a glass Of beer as had ever been
brewed back home in the good old days. And
Pop had certainly taken fancy to Munich
where you could sit in the Hofbrau house while
Dora and the boys the sights and even if
you were no more OF a drinking man than