A CHRISTMAS JAUNT 



an unattractive life. No smoke-cloud 

 showed, the North Shore spoke not by 

 telegraph or telephone, bilingual criti- 

 cism of the government and its economic 

 ways flowed freely. About half-past 

 three a passenger was permitted, at his 

 sole charge, to gather tidings from the 

 other side. The long-deferred blow fell 

 heavily ; it was still snowing, and more- 

 over, was now too late ; the boat would 

 not start. Of a truth the captain of this 

 high-powered and well-found craft, 

 which in her time crossed the Atlantic, 

 wore that day no cuirass of triple 

 brass. 



The obliging train received and bore 

 us back without further payment to the 

 main line, where thirty people more 

 than exhausted the accommodations of 

 the two small lodging-houses. Having 

 on former journeys gathered some ex- 

 perience of these at their best, we threw 

 ourselves into the arms of a certain 



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