THE END OF THE HOUSE PARTY
As they were persons of strong constitution and in good athletic
training neither Mr. Tolman nor Steve were any the worse for the narrow
escape of the morning, and although a trifle spent with excitement both
were able to take their places at the dinner table so that no cloud
rested on the festivity of the day.
Certainly such a dinner never was,--or if there ever had been one like
it in history at least Dick Martin had never had the luck to sit down to
it. The soup steaming and hot, the celery white and crisp, the sweet
potatoes browned in the oven and gleaming beneath their glaze of sugar,
the cranberry sauce vivid as a bowl of rubies; to say nothing of squash,
and parsnips and onions! And as for the turkey,--why, it was the size of
an ostrich! With what resignation it lay upon its back, with what an
abject spirit of surrender,--as if it realized that resistance was
futile and that it must docilely offer itself up to make perfect the
feast. And the pudding, the golden-tinted pies with their delicate
crust, the nuts; the pyramid of fruit, riotous in color; the candies of
every imaginable hue and flavor! Was it a wonder that Dick, who had
never before beheld a real New England home Thanksgiving, regarded the
novelty with eyes as large as saucers and ate until there was not room
for another mouthful?
"Gee!" he gasped in a whisper to Stephen, as he sank weakly back into
his chair when the coffee made its appearance. "This sure is some
dinner."
The others who chanced to overhear the observation laughed.
"Had enough, sonny?" inquired Mr. Tolman.
"_Enough!_"
There was more laughter.
"I suppose were it not for the trains and the ships we should not be
having such a meal as this to-day," remarked Mrs. Tolman.
"You are right," was Mr. Ackerman's reply. "Let me see! Fruit from
Florida, California and probably from Italy; flour from the Middle West;
coffee from South America; sugar probably from Cuba; turkey from Rhode
Island, no doubt; and vegetables from scattered New England farms. Add
to this cigarettes from Egypt and Turkey and you have covered quite a
portion of the globe."
"It is a pity we do not consider our indebtedness to our neighbors all
over the world oftener," commented Mr. Tolman. "We take so much for
granted these days. To appreciate our blessings to the full we should
have lived in early Colonial times when the arrival of a ship from
across the ocean was such an important event that the wares she brought
were advertised broadcast. Whenever such a vessel came into port a list
of her cargo was issued and purchasers scrambled eagerly to secure the
luxuries she carried. Pipes of wine, bolts of cloth, china, silks,
tea--all were catalogued. It was no ordinary happening when such a boat
docked, I assure you."
"I suppose it was a great event," reflected Mrs. Tolman, "although I
never half realized it."
"And not only was the advent of merchandise a red-letter day but so was
the advent of travelers from the other side of the water. Picture if you
can the excitement that ensued when Jenny Lind, the famous singer,
visited this country! And the fact that we were now to hear this
celebrated woman was not the only reason for our interest. She had
actually come in a ship from across the sea! Others would come also.
America was no longer cut off from the culture of the old world, an
isolated country bereft of the advantages of European civilization. We
were near enough for distinguished persons to make trips here! Charles
Dickens and the Prince of Wales came--and how cosmopolitan we felt to be
entertaining guests from the mother-country! Certainly the Atlantic
could not be very wide if it could be crossed so easily and if we could
have the same speakers, the same readers, the same singers as did the
English! Our fathers and grandfathers must have thrilled with
satisfaction at the thought. The ocean was conquered and was no longer
an estranging barrier."
"What would they have said to crossing the water by aeroplane or bobbing
up in a foreign port in a submarine?" put in Doris.
"And some day I suppose the marvels of our age that cause our mouths to
open wide and our eyes to bulge with amazement will become as humdrum as
the ocean liner and the Pullman have," Mrs. Tolman remarked.
"Yes," returned her husband. "Think of the fight every one of these
innovations has had to put up before it battled its way to success. The
first locomotives, you remember, were not only rated as unsafe for
travel but also actually destructive to property. The major part of the
public had no faith in them and predicted they would never be used for
general travel. As for crossing the ocean--why, one was welcome to take
his life in his hands if he chose, of course; but to cross in an iron
ship--it was tempting Providence! Did not iron always sink? And how
people ridiculed Darius Green and his flying machine! Most of the
prophets were thought to be crazy. History is filled with stories of men
who wrecked their worldly fortunes to perpetuate an idea, and but too
frequently an idea they never lived to see perfected."
During the pause that followed Mr. Ackerman leaned across the table and
as he sipped his coffee asked mischievously:
"Well, Steve, having now heard both stories, have you come to a
conclusion which one you are going to vote for?"
"No, sir," was the dubious response. "I'm farther away from a decision
than ever. Just as I get it settled in my mind that the railroads have
done the biggest things and conquered the most difficulties along come
the steamships and I am certain they are six times as wonderful."
"And you, Dick--what do you say?" questioned the financier, smiling.
"Surely you are going to stand up for the steamboat."
But to his chagrin Dick shook his head.
"I feel as Steve does," replied he. "No sooner do I get settled one way
than something turns me round the other."
"So far as I can see we shall have to leave the matter a draw, shan't
we, Tolman?" observed the New Yorker.
"It would be a jolly subject for a debate, wouldn't it?" put in Stephen.
"Sometimes we have discussions like that at school and the next time we
do I believe I'll suggest this topic. It would be mighty interesting."
"It certainly would," his father echoed. "But it also would be a very
sorry event if you could not demonstrate that the railroads had the
supremacy for were their prestige to be threatened I might have to move
out of town."
"In case Connecticut did not want you, you might come to New York where
you would be sure of being appreciated," put in Mr. Ackerman. "And that
is not all talk, either, for I want you and the whole family to give me
a promise to-day that you will come over and join Dick and me at
Christmas. I've never had a boy of my own to celebrate the holiday with
before, you must remember; but this time I have a real family and I am
going to have a real Christmas," he continued, smiling affectionately at
the lad beside him. "So I want every one of you to come and help me to
make the day a genuine landmark. And if I'm a little new at playing
Santa Claus some of you who have been schooled in the role for many
years can show me how. We can't promise to stage for you such an
excitement as Stephen got up for us this morning, and we never can give
you a dinner equal to this; but we can give you a royal welcome. You can
come by boat or come by train," added he slyly. "No guest who patronizes
the railroads will be shut out, even if he is misguided. The chief thing
is for you to come, one and all, and we will renew our friendship and
once again bless Stephen, Dick, and my lost pocketbook, for bringing us
together."
FINIS
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The first volume in "The Invention Series"
PAUL AND THE PRINTING PRESS
By SARA WARE BASSETT
With illustrations by A. O. Scott
12mo. Cloth. 218 pages.
Paul Cameron, president of the class of 1920 in the Burmingham High
School, conceives the idea of establishing a school paper, to the honor
and glory of his class. So _The March Hare_ comes into existence, and
Paul and his schoolfellows bend all their energies to making it a
success. They have their difficulties and Paul in particular bears the
brunt of their troubles, but _The March Hare_ lives up to its reputation
for life and liveliness and becomes not only a class success, but a town
institution. This is the first volume in "The Invention Series."
"It is the sort of story that boys of fourteen years and upward
will enjoy and ought to enjoy, a combination that is rarely
achieved."--Boston Post.
"A welcome volume which will appeal to boys who want a good story that
will give some information as well."--New York Evening Post.
"'Paul and the Printing Press' not only has a keen story interest, but
has the advantage of carrying much valuable information for all young
folks for whom the mysterious and all-powerful printing press has an
attraction."--Boston Herald.
LITTLE, BROWN & CO., PUBLISHERS
34 Beacon Street, Boston
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End of Project Gutenberg's Steve and the Steam Engine, by Sara Ware Bassett