CHAPTER XIX
THE END OF THE HOUSE PARTY
As they were persons of strong constitution and in good athletictraining neither Mr. Tolman nor Steve were any the worse for the narrowescape of the morning, and although a trifle spent with excitement bothwere able to take their places at the dinner table so that no cloudrested on the festivity of the day.
Certainly such a dinner never was,--or if there ever had been one likeit in history at least Dick Martin had never had the luck to sit down toit. The soup steaming and hot, the celery white and crisp, the sweetpotatoes browned in the oven and gleaming beneath their glaze of sugar,the cranberry sauce vivid as a bowl of rubies; to say nothing of squash,and parsnips and onions! And as for the turkey,--why, it was the size ofan ostrich! With what resignation it lay upon its back, with what anabject spirit of surrender,--as if it realized that resistance wasfutile and that it must docilely offer itself up to make perfect thefeast. And the pudding, the golden-tinted pies with their delicatecrust, the nuts; the pyramid of fruit, riotous in color; the candies ofevery imaginable hue and flavor! Was it a wonder that Dick, who hadnever before beheld a real New England home Thanksgiving, regarded thenovelty with eyes as large as saucers and ate until there was not roomfor another mouthful?
"Gee!" he gasped in a whisper to Stephen, as he sank weakly back intohis chair when the coffee made its appearance. "This sure is somedinner."
The others who chanced to overhear the observation laughed.
"Had enough, sonny?" inquired Mr. Tolman.
"_Enough!_"
There was more laughter.
"I suppose were it not for the trains and the ships we should not behaving such a meal as this to-day," remarked Mrs. Tolman.
"You are right," was Mr. Ackerman's reply. "Let me see! Fruit fromFlorida, California and probably from Italy; flour from the Middle West;coffee from South America; sugar probably from Cuba; turkey from RhodeIsland, no doubt; and vegetables from scattered New England farms. Addto this cigarettes from Egypt and Turkey and you have covered quite aportion of the globe."
"It is a pity we do not consider our indebtedness to our neighbors allover the world oftener," commented Mr. Tolman. "We take so much forgranted these days. To appreciate our blessings to the full we shouldhave lived in early Colonial times when the arrival of a ship fromacross the ocean was such an important event that the wares she broughtwere advertised broadcast. Whenever such a vessel came into port a listof her cargo was issued and purchasers scrambled eagerly to secure theluxuries she carried. Pipes of wine, bolts of cloth, china, silks,tea--all were catalogued. It was no ordinary happening when such a boatdocked, I assure you."
"I suppose it was a great event," reflected Mrs. Tolman, "although Inever half realized it."
"And not only was the advent of merchandise a red-letter day but so wasthe advent of travelers from the other side of the water. Picture if youcan the excitement that ensued when Jenny Lind, the famous singer,visited this country! And the fact that we were now to hear thiscelebrated woman was not the only reason for our interest. She hadactually come in a ship from across the sea! Others would come also.America was no longer cut off from the culture of the old world, anisolated country bereft of the advantages of European civilization. Wewere near enough for distinguished persons to make trips here! CharlesDickens and the Prince of Wales came--and how cosmopolitan we felt to beentertaining guests from the mother-country! Certainly the Atlanticcould not be very wide if it could be crossed so easily and if we couldhave the same speakers, the same readers, the same singers as did theEnglish! Our fathers and grandfathers must have thrilled withsatisfaction at the thought. The ocean was conquered and was no longeran estranging barrier."
"What would they have said to crossing the water by aeroplane or bobbingup in a foreign port in a submarine?" put in Doris.
"And some day I suppose the marvels of our age that cause our mouths toopen wide and our eyes to bulge with amazement will become as humdrum asthe ocean liner and the Pullman have," Mrs. Tolman remarked.
"Yes," returned her husband. "Think of the fight every one of theseinnovations has had to put up before it battled its way to success. Thefirst locomotives, you remember, were not only rated as unsafe fortravel but also actually destructive to property. The major part of thepublic had no faith in them and predicted they would never be used forgeneral travel. As for crossing the ocean--why, one was welcome to takehis life in his hands if he chose, of course; but to cross in an ironship--it was tempting Providence! Did not iron always sink? And howpeople ridiculed Darius Green and his flying machine! Most of theprophets were thought to be crazy. History is filled with stories of menwho wrecked their worldly fortunes to perpetuate an idea, and but toofrequently an idea they never lived to see perfected."
During the pause that followed Mr. Ackerman leaned across the table andas he sipped his coffee asked mischievously:
"Well, Steve, having now heard both stories, have you come to aconclusion which one you are going to vote for?"
"No, sir," was the dubious response. "I'm farther away from a decisionthan ever. Just as I get it settled in my mind that the railroads havedone the biggest things and conquered the most difficulties along comethe steamships and I am certain they are six times as wonderful."
"And you, Dick--what do you say?" questioned the financier, smiling."Surely you are going to stand up for the steamboat."
But to his chagrin Dick shook his head.
"I feel as Steve does," replied he. "No sooner do I get settled one waythan something turns me round the other."
"So far as I can see we shall have to leave the matter a draw, shan'twe, Tolman?" observed the New Yorker.
"It would be a jolly subject for a debate, wouldn't it?" put in Stephen."Sometimes we have discussions like that at school and the next time wedo I believe I'll suggest this topic. It would be mighty interesting."
"It certainly would," his father echoed. "But it also would be a verysorry event if you could not demonstrate that the railroads had thesupremacy for were their prestige to be threatened I might have to moveout of town."
"In case Connecticut did not want you, you might come to New York whereyou would be sure of being appreciated," put in Mr. Ackerman. "And thatis not all talk, either, for I want you and the whole family to give mea promise to-day that you will come over and join Dick and me atChristmas. I've never had a boy of my own to celebrate the holiday withbefore, you must remember; but this time I have a real family and I amgoing to have a real Christmas," he continued, smiling affectionately atthe lad beside him. "So I want every one of you to come and help me tomake the day a genuine landmark. And if I'm a little new at playingSanta Claus some of you who have been schooled in the role for manyyears can show me how. We can't promise to stage for you such anexcitement as Stephen got up for us this morning, and we never can giveyou a dinner equal to this; but we can give you a royal welcome. You cancome by boat or come by train," added he slyly. "No guest who patronizesthe railroads will be shut out, even if he is misguided. The chief thingis for you to come, one and all, and we will renew our friendship andonce again bless Stephen, Dick, and my lost pocketbook, for bringing ustogether."
FINIS
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The first volume in "The Invention Series"
PAUL AND THE PRINTING PRESS
By SARA WARE BASSETT
With illustrations by A. O. Scott
12mo. Cloth. 218 pages.
Paul Cameron, president of the class of 1920 in the Burmingham HighSchool, conceives the idea of establishing a school paper, to the honorand glory of his class. So _The March Hare_ comes into existence, andPaul and his schoolfellows bend all their energies to making it asuccess. They have their difficulties and Paul in particular bears thebrunt of their troubles, but _The March Hare_ lives up to its reputationfor life and liveliness and becomes not only a class success, but a towninstitution. This is the first volume in "The Invention Se
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34 Beacon Street, Boston
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Steve and the Steam Engine Page 19
