Rollo in Switzerland | Page 7

they do is done right," rejoined
Mr. George.
Soon after this Mr. George and Rollo took their seats in the carriage,
which had been for some time standing ready for them in the court yard
of the inn, and drove to the Strasbourg station.

Rollo was greatly interested and excited, when he arrived at the
Strasbourg station, to see how extensive and magnificent it was. The
carriage entered, with a train of other carriages, through a great iron
gate and drew up at the front of a very spacious and grand-looking
building. Porters, dressed in a sort of uniform, which gave them in
some degree the appearance of soldiers, were ready to take the two
trunks and carry them in. The young gentlemen followed the porters,
and they soon found themselves ushered into an immense hall, very
neatly and prettily arranged, with great maps of the various railways
painted on the walls between the windows on the front side, and
openings on the back side leading to ticket offices or waiting rooms.
There were seats along the sides of this hall, with groups of
neatly-dressed travellers sitting upon them. Other travellers were
walking about, attending to their baggage or making inquiries of the
porter or policemen. Others still were standing at the openings of the
ticket offices buying their tickets. What chiefly struck Rollo's attention,
however, and impressed his mind, was the air of silence, order, and
decorum which prevailed and which gave to the station an aspect so
different from that of an American station. It is true, the hall was very
large, and there were a great many people in it going and coming; but
they all walked decorously and quietly,--they spoke in an
undertone,--and the presence of so many railway officials in their
several uniforms, and of police officers with their badges, and here and
there a soldier on guard, gave to the whole scene quite a solemn and
imposing appearance.
Rollo gazed about the apartment as he came in, surveying the various
objects and groups that presented themselves to his view, until his eye
rested upon a little party of travellers, consisting of a lady and two boys,
who were standing together near a low railing, waiting for the
gentleman who was with them to come back from the ticket office with
their tickets. What chiefly attracted Rollo's attention, however, was a
pretty little dog, with very long ears, and black, glossy hair, which one
of the children held by a cord. The cord was attached to the dog's neck
by a silver collar.
Rollo looked at this group for a few minutes--his attention being

particularly occupied by the dog,--and then turned again towards his
uncle, or rather towards the place where his uncle had been standing;
but he found, to his surprise, that he was gone.
In a moment, however, he saw his uncle coming towards him. He was
clasping his wallet and putting it in his pocket.
"Uncle George," said he, "see that beautiful little dog!"
"Yes," said Mr. George.
"I wish I had such a dog as that to travel with me," said Rollo. "But,
uncle George where are we to get our tickets?"
"I've got mine," said Mr. George. "When I come to a railway station I
always get my ticket the first thing, and look at the pretty little dogs
afterwards."
So saying, Mr. George took a newspaper out of his pocket and began to
walk away, adding, as he went,--
"I'll sit down here and read my newspaper till you have got your ticket,
and then we will go into the waiting room."
"But, uncle George," said Rollo, "why did not you get me a ticket when
you got yours?"
"Because," said Mr. George, "among other reasons, I did not know
which class carriage you wished to go in."
"Why, uncle George!" exclaimed Rollo, surprised. "I must go in the
same carriage that you do of course."
"Not of course," said Mr. George. "I have got a ticket in the first class;
and I should like to have your company in my car very much if you
choose to pay the price for a first-class ticket. But if you choose to take
a second or a third-class ticket you will save, perhaps, half your
money."

So saying, Mr. George went away and left Rollo to himself.
This was the way that Mr. George always treated Rollo when he was
travelling with him. He left him to act for himself and to take care of
himself in almost all the emergencies that occurred. He did this, not
because he wished to save himself the trouble of taking care of a boy,
but because he thought it was much better for boys early to learn to
take care of themselves.
The manner in which Mr.