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rest of the night I was haunted by this awful refrain： 〃Pull down the bel…
lind； pull down the bel…lind； simebody's klink klink； O don't be shoo…
shoo！〃 Naturally this differs on the different railways。 On the New
York Central； where the road…bed is quite perfect and the steel rails
continuous； I have heard this irreverent train give the words of a certain
popular revival hymn after this fashion： 〃Hold the fort； for I am Sankey；
Moody slingers still。 Wave the swish swash back from klinky； klinky
klanky kill。〃 On the New York and New Haven； where there are many
switches； and the engine whistles at every cross road； I have often heard；
〃Tommy make room for your whooopy！ that's a little clang； bumpity；
bumpity； boopy； clikitty； clikitty； clang。〃 Poetry； I fear； fared little better。
One starlit night； coming from Quebec； as we slipped by a virgin forest；
the opening lines of Evangeline flashed upon me。 But all I could make
of them was this： 〃This is the forest primeval…eval； the groves of the pines
and the hemlocks… locks…locks…locks…loooock！〃 The train was only
〃slowing〃 or 〃braking〃 up at a station。 Hence the jar in the metre。
I had noticed a peculiar Aeolian harp…like cry that ran through the
whole train as we settled to rest at last after a long runan almost sigh of
infinite relief； a musical sigh that began in C and ran gradually up to F
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natural； which I think most observant travelers have noticed day and night。
No railway official has ever given me a satisfactory explanation of it。 As
the car； in a rapid run； is always slightly projected forward of its trucks； a
practical friend once suggested to me that it was the gradual settling back
of the car body to a state of inertia； which； of course； every poetical
traveler would reject。 Four o'clock the sound of boot…blacking by the
porter faintly apparent from the toilet…room。 Why not talk to him？ But；
fortunately； I remembered that any attempt at extended conversation with
conductor or porter was always resented by them as implied disloyalty to
the company they represented。 I recalled that once I had endeavored to
impress upon a conductor the absolute folly of a midnight inspection of
tickets； and had been treated by him as an escaped lunatic。 No； there was
no relief from this suffocating and insupportable loneliness to be gained
then。 I raised the window…blind and looked out。 We were passing a
farm…house。 A light； evidently the lantern of a farm…hand； was swung
beside a barn。 Yes； the faintest tinge of rose in the far horizon。
Morning； surely； at last。
We had stopped at a station。 Two men had got into the car； and had
taken seats in the one vacant section； yawning occasionally and
conversing in a languid； perfunctory sort of way。 They sat opposite each
other； occasionally looking out of the window； but always giving the
strong impression that they were tired of each other's company。 As I
looked out of my curtains at them； the One Man said； with a feebly
concealed yawn：
〃Yes； well； I reckon he was at one time as poplar an ondertaker ez I
knew。〃
The Other Man （inventing a question rather than giving an answer； out
of some languid； social impulse）： 〃But was hethis yer ondertakera
Christianhed he jined the church？〃
The One Man （reflectively）： 〃Well； I don't know ez you might call him
a purfessin' Christian； but he hedyes； he hed conviction。 I think Dr。
Wylie hed him under conviction。 Et least that was the way I got it from
HIM。〃
A long； dreary pause。 The Other Man （feeling it was incumbent upon
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him to say something）： 〃But why was he poplar ez an ondertaker？〃
The One Man （lazily）： 〃Well； he was kinder poplar with widders and
widdererssorter soothen 'em a kinder； keerless way； slung 'em suthin'
here and there； sometimes outer the Book； sometimes outer hisself； ez a
man of experience as hed hed sorror。 Hed； they say （VERY
CAUTIOUSLY）； lost three wives hisself； and five children by this yer new
diseasediptheryout in Wisconsin。 I don't know the facts； but that's
what's got round。〃
The Other Man： 〃But how did he lose his poplarity？〃
The One Man： 〃Well； that's the question。 You see he interduced some
things into ondertaking that waz new。 He hed； for instance； a way； as he
called it； of manniperlating the features of the deceased。〃
The Other Man （quietly）： 〃How manniperlating？〃
The One Man （struck with a bright and aggressive thought）： 〃Look yer；
did ye ever notiss how； generally speakin'； onhandsome a corpse is？〃
The Other Man had noticed this fact。
The One Man （returning to his fact）： 〃Why there was Mary Peebles； ez
was daughter of my wife's bosom frienda mighty pooty girl and a
professing Christiandied of scarlet fever。 Well； that galI was one of
the mourners； being my wife's friendwell； that gal； though I hedn't；
perhaps； oughter saylying in that casket； fetched all the way from some
A1 establishment in Chicago； filled with flowers and furbelowsdidn't
really seem to be of much account。 Well； although my wife's friend； and
me a mournerwell； now； I wasdisappointed and discouraged。〃
The Other Man （in palpably affected sympathy）： 〃Sho！ now！〃
〃Yes； SIR！ Well； you see； this yer ondertaker； this Wilkins； hed a way
of correctin' all thet。 And just by manniperlation。 He worked over the
face of the deceased ontil he perduced what the survivin' relatives called a
look of resignation；you know； a sort of smile； like。 When he wanted to
put in any extrys； he perduced what he calledhevin' reglar charges for
this kind of worka Christian's hope。〃
The Other Man： 〃I want to know。〃
〃Yes。 Well； I admit； at times it was a little startlin'。 And I've allers
said （a little confidentially） that I had my doubts of its bei