Saturday, 6/9/34
Along about now your train is clickety clicking away furiously, going faster and faster, tearing along in the Lake region of Northern Illinois. If you’ll look out, once in a while you’ll see one of them — Grays Lake, Round Lake or even Long Lake.
You’re getting near Chicago!
So on with your clothes… and isn’t it full of fun trying to wiggle into ’em when you’re almost flat on your back? Somebody whispered once that that’s how the snake charmers in the circuses get their start. They wiggle in the Pullman berths trying to get things on.
When you’re dressed, off you go to the ladies’ room with your prettying-up things. The porter will make up your berth as fast as he can get to it. But for safety’s sake, take out all your odds and ends and pack ’em in your suitcase before you go for a walk. It keeps things from getting lost. Remember to dig your purse out! Bet it’s crawled down to your feet.
Finally the berth’s made up (or is it un-made up?) and you’re watching out the window. Watch the little towns zip by! This train of yours is starting to hum. It won’t stop now till it’s almost in. The little towns start to get closer together now. Techny… Glenview… Golf… Morton Grove… Edgebrook… Forest Glen… and by the time the Mayfair station goes by, you’re in Chicago. But you’re above Chicago, and you can look down on the roofs of houses and buildings.
But remember, this part of our big city is just one little corner. You’re coming through what we know as an old part of the city. The nicest and most beautiful parts are ahead. So don’t think it’s all full of funny little houses. Just wait and see!
Your conductor comes — and maybe it will be an entirely different conductor from the one you saw last night. But never mind, he has your ticket, and that’s the most important part. You’ll give him back your little stub that the man tore off the end of the envelope, and lo and behold, your ticket comes back to you. So zip it into your zipper and hold on.
Along comes your porter with a whiskbroom. Follow him when he beckons to you, and he’ll do his best to brush off some of the train’s dust and soot from your dress.
Get your things together, now. There will only be a few minutes and you’ll be in. Everything packed in your suitcase? Got all your things accounted for?
The porter will take your suitcase out on the platform. And everybody will bustle around, and get ready to get off.
The lights all go on now, and the train plunges into dark long tunnels. Presently you feel it slow up and the conductor calls
U—nnn—ion Staaaaation Chicago!
Just see if he doesn’t drag it out just like that!
Finally it stops.
Off goes the baggage into the hands of grinning redcaps, who line it all up, piece by piece.
And off you step on to the platform.
The young man with the big grin, and the plump happy-looking lady who are right there to grab you are none other but… Mother and me.
We hope that you haven’t gone back to the diner this morning, because here it is only eight o’clock, or something like that, and we want you to have breakfast with us. Will you? And off we go, for the biggest vacation you ever had.
