Year: 1874

BY ELSA MANsFIELD.


"DO you intend, Alice, to take that
saohel and lunch basket and ird-caoo
and plant and waterproof cIoak-so
many thini1gs-along with you into your
car seat ?"


Yes, sir, I must"


Way must you, Alice? It is not
cold to-day, and there is no danger of
rs raining. You will not need vour
cloak, and you probably will not unstrap
it. Can't you put it into your trunk. or
manage somehow to take fewer bundles
into your seat with you ?"


"No, Uncle John, I cannot. NV
trunk is crammed so full now that I fear
the lock will burst"


"Well, Alice, if you must take so
many packages with you, I want to sup-
gest to you to be careful how Won dis
pose of them. Don't attempt to occupy
two seats when you have paid for only
one, II some one else wants the other"


" That will depend greatly, Uncle
John, upon who tits that wants a seat with
me, replied Miss Alice, with naughty
TOSS OF her head. 4 certainly shall
not put my things under my feet nor
load my lap uncJmfortably to accom-
mouate some or dinary looking man or
tussy old woman. One-half of the men
nowadays would just as lief oblige a
young iad- to do it as not. They are
not gal ant at all +; they ought to be
ashan ed of themselves. 1 have heard
WorIan-good women they were, too
Say that the seat beside them was en-
gagged, when they had got their things
placed and didn't wish to remove them,
or because they didn't like the looks of
the person who wanted the seat, when
] knew that they had no friend that was
coming in to take the place. I didn't
blame them at all, Uncle John. I
shouldn't hesitate to say the same my
self under the same circumstances. 1t
wouldn't be telling an untruth. If all
OF these packages were on it, it would
be taken, wouldn't it ?"


=" Pshaw pshaw Alice. Is that you
advocating such stuff as that ?" exclalm-
ed her uncle, in surprise and indigna-
tiOn. too, have seen women and
girls, and occasionally a man, who acted
upon that principle but had serious
doubts of their goodness. never
dreamed before, Alice, that you we're so
selfish and unprincipled as to think of
doing such a thing. If a man ought to
feel ashamed to take a seat for which he
has honestly paid, how ought a young
lady to feel who would not scruple to
practice gross deception for the sake of
retaining, for her own convenience, n
seat to which she has no claim what
ever? If l were willing to do such a
thing, my respect for myself would be
about as little as it would be if I wished
to steal from passenger as much money
as he had paid for his car-fare. 1t will
be fully half an hour, Alice, before Mike
gets here with the carriage. While we
are waiting, 1 will tell you a little Incl
dent that transpired in the car when
your Aunt Ruth and 1 went to Rich
mond last fall. We had q seat at the
rear end of the car. The first seat in
front of us was occupied by n young
lady-just about your age, Alice, iudg-
ing from her looks. She was richly
dressed and think would be called a
handsome girl but there was some
thing both in her look and manner that
was not pleasing to me, even before 1
had heard her speak, or hardly seen her
move. If any one had asked me what
| dishked in her, it would have been
difficult for me to tell; yet there was an
intangible something about her which
gave me the impression that she had no
idea that the golden rule Whatsoever
We would that others should do to you
do you even so to them'-was intended
Tor such as she. She probably thought,
Alice, that that divine Injunction was
given for common people ordinary
looking men and fussy old women


Your Aunt Ruth said that she be-
heved that about all Summerville were
going somewhere that morning, the cars
were so rapidly filed. 1t is always
amusing to me to observe the difference
IN the dispositions and manners of the
people who are seated while others are
passing through looking for unoccupled
seats. l know of no better place In
which to study human nature than IN
the cars. 1 think that l have seen
more curious phases of it while. ridln
IN them than I ever saw in any other
place. 1 observed the young lady IN
front of me that morning with more IN
terest than 1 did any other person, be-
cause L wanted to ascertain whether !
was correct not in the opinion Whlch
had so hastily formed of her.


"One of the last passengers who
came in wasa white haired. tottering old
man. He looked TO the right and left
OF him for a vacant seat, as he passed
down the aisle, leaning on his staff
glanced ahead but could see no place
where he could get seat except with
the young lady of whom I have been
telling you. Ihoped that some young
man would give up his seat to the poor
Old gentleman and find one for hin
IN another car; for was sure the youne
lady would not make room for him, II
she could avoid it. She had about as
many packages as you intend to take
with you, Alice, and she had arranged
taem all along on the seat beside hel
with such nicely that it gave them :
Peculiarly touch-me-not appearance:
thought of asking her If she hao
noticed that decrepit old man who was
looking for a seat, thinking she mlghl
possibly remove her packages II
should. But had the curiosity TO ses
what she would do of her own accord
80 | refrained from speaking, and IN
'ende to give him my place II ne dic
not secure one before he came TO me
No doubt some of the people whom ~
passed would have given him theirs
they had not observed that there was
vacant seat beside the young lady. a
the old gentleman drew nearer TO US sn'
turned her head and looked out OF tn
window, must confess, Alice, that


was rather glad, on the whole, that n