The Argosy — page 40: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

27 Tit te ee, Ge Ea ae, By AN ELDERLY LaApy. ead, aN I was young I travelled third class from motives of economy, but promised myself promotion when my ship should come in. I now think, that even if that long-delayed vessel came to port, I should remain faithful to the third class railway carriage. It is one of the few places in this country of castes and cliques, where you meet your fellow-creatures spon a footing of equality ; and so great is the virtue of equality in social intercourse that nowhere can you find better company than in third class carriages. I do not mean by this that they are frequented by persons of rank and fashion, though there is a popular legend of a third class passenger who travelled to the North in the company of two dukes. The story goes that the three travellers were alone in their com- partment, and beguiled their way with friendly talk. A little on this side of the Tweed, one of the passengers got out, to be met by a liveried servant, and addressed as ‘‘ Your Grace.” “Only think of a nob like that talking to two snobs like you and me!” observed the third class passenger to the remaining duke ; and they resumed their talk, till they had gone some little way on the further side of the Tweed. Here, the second duke got out, to be met by a second servant, and also to be addressed as “ Your Grace.” The story stops at this interesting point ; but it is believed that the third class passenger survived to tell the tale. I do not think I ever travelled with a duke, though I should be loth to declare on oath that I had never travelled with an earl or a baronet. But, if I did, I remained unaware of my privileges, owing to an unworthy reserve, which showed they were little better than impostors in coming into a third class carriage. USan Nor have I ever met with the adventures which have fallen to the lot of some of my acquaintances. One dear young friend of mine, when only lately married herself, was escorting a still younger sister on a railway journey. She was feeling elevated at her recently-acquired dignity of chaperon, when her pride received a severe shock from the conduct of their sole fellow-passenger, who proceeded to make a formal offer of his hand and heart to the younger lady, with sublime indifference to the presence of her guardian. The fellow-passenger, of course, proved to be an escaped lunatic. None of these adventures, however, have fallen to my lot ; probably, COnniclooolkKks mM