14000 MILES 



robe may be, it looks plentiful after a month's absence 

 from it. This fact may well be mentioned as one of 

 the decided advantages which a journey by carriage has 

 over almost every other kind of summer traveling. The 

 fewest things possible having been condensed into the 

 smallest space possible, we were ready for a start at 

 eight o'clock ; but the clouds hung heavy, and we waited 

 awhile for the sun to find its way through them ; then 

 said "good morning" to friends and were ofif. We drove 

 to Fitchburg because we like to start north, and from 

 there we went to Ashburnham. Before we left Fitch- 

 burg the sun forgot all about us and hid behind the 

 clouds, which had no consideration for our desire not to 

 get wet the first day, and poured their contents on us 

 unsparingly until we got to Ashburnham, where we 

 stopped an hour or two. With seeming maliciousness 

 the rain ceased during our stay, and began with renewed 

 energy directly we were on our way again ; and as we 

 drove on through Winchendon the thunder and lightning 

 rapidly increased. We had quite enjoyed the distant 

 rumbling, but it was getting unpleasantly near. The 

 freshness of all our equipments was decidedly marred 

 when we drove to the hotel in Fitzwilliam, and water- 

 proofs and blankets were despatched to the kitchen fire 

 to dry. 



We devoted the evening to an earnest debate on "Why 

 did we come to Fitzwilliam?" We had not even the 

 reason we had for going to Fitchburg, and wherever we 

 might drive, it did not seem as if Fitzwilliam was likely 

 to be on our way. We do not know yet how it happened, 

 unless the thunder and lightning so diverted us that we 



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