The cover image was created by the transcriber and is placed in the public domain.
Table of Contents
A Parody on Patience
Transcriber's Notes
•A♦Trip♦to♦Niagara♦Falls•
"Come, May, come, Nellie; hurry up. Deacon Fitney will be heredirectly and the train starts directly."
The voice was that of Mr. Trevellyan, a thoroughly well-known andhighly respected stock broker of the City of Chicago. Mr. Trevellyan wasa hard-working man, and his various affairs did not give him much opportunityof absenting himself from his business. But to-day had been laid out as a holidayfor the babies, and papa Trevellyan had made up his mind to take part in it.
After a good deal of family discussion [these things generally involve moreor less of that sort of thing] it was finally decided to make a trip to NiagaraFalls and back. So a party was made up which was to consist of Mr. and Mrs.Trevellyan, the two children and a good-hearted Deacon Fitney, who waswell acquainted with the way to "do" the Falls properly.
The day was, as I have just said, a bright one, even for the month of June,and both May and Nellie, in anticipation of a pleasant time, were not long inputting on their things and repairing to the parlor.
It was well they hurried. There was papa, valise in hand, ready to start;mamma, too, and nothing seemed to be wanting but the presence of DeaconFitney, who had gone off to secure the railway tickets, and who promised toreturn at once with a carriage and accompany the whole party to the train.The Deacon was not long in coming back. He was a good man in his way, wasthe Deacon. He had only one fault—he was unreasonably fond of Buttons![Pg 2]He adorned his apparel with more buttons than even the law requires, and hewore a nice gold headed button on his neatly tied satin scarf. Nobody couldever find out what prompted this peculiarity, but then nobody seemed to carevery much. However, as I said before, the Deacon came back very quickly andhelped get things in the carriage.
"By the way, Deacon," said Mr. Trevellyan, "what time do we start andwhich way do we go? You know I have left everything of that kind to you."
"Four-thirty," said the Deacon, in a cheerful sort of way, "and by theMichigan Central Railroad. It is the only way to go. But never mind aboutthe advantages to be gained by going over this remarkable route. I will tellyou all about it when we get on the train."
And so they bundled into the carriage, and within a few minutes the entireparty was seated in one of the magnificent palace cars which are attached to theMichigan Central Limited Express.
"All aboard!" shouted the conductor. "We're off," smiled the Deacon.The big clock in the depot struck the half after four, and the magnificent traincomposed of five sleepers, three coaches, a palace dining car and a couple ofbaggage cars, slowly pulled out of the station.
May and Nellie glued their noses to