Italian Railway Enterprise

Feelhfg iwee that I shonld never piimb another mountain, I had bronght ' from Cortina - as a fcrophy to hang nnder my Mosel oar - the alpenstock with whicli I struggled up Tofana; value, twenty-two cents. For convcnience 1 would send it as freight to Harre. To allow for the slowness of the derks, vo assigned nn extra threequartefs of an hoor for tiie business of setting it off onr hands, besides a half Eo-nr for büying tickets and regigtering I the baggage. In front o' the station stands a liule gwird-hottse, with the deiuding legend, " Expedizione." "Mignt I send this stick to Havre?" "Sieuro." "How mnch will it cost?" We nrnst ask. The expeditor goos with us to t!ie freight elerk, who answers, "More than it i.s worth." "Probably, bnt how muchP" "How niuch does it weigh?" "I don't know; weigh it. The expeditor hung it to the hook of a steelyard .wiiicli another man held np. "One kilo" (lvo pounds). Then, j after a calculation: "Tvvo francs." "Verywell; I will stand two francss Xo matter about '.hc receipt. Hei-e is Uie raoney. Mark il 'Psid,3 aud seiid it as soon as poasible." But they manage these thlngs botter. I n Italy. I must go back and see what "Expedizione" reallymeans. I must give the details very clearly, and the ofïieial must make out the papers. I ! miglit go and get my tickets and fight : my baggage through, and then come back. Icame back. it the end of a half honr and of all my patience, and found him still writing. There were three "freight letters, eacli as long and intricate as a polícy of insurance, and two long "deelarations" for the Custom House - giving a description, value, etc., etc. (All conceming twenty-two cents1 worth of wood and iron, which had not reached Havre twenty-eight daj's later, and probably never will reach tliere. One of those freight letters has got into a wrong pjgeon-hole.) Then we went to the freight clerk, and he signed something and I signed something (sanded), and the "Expedizione" man demanded three francs and a half. I referred to the contract for two francs. "Ah! mais! the 'Expedizione' costs a franc and a half." At last I was freo. Everylhing was attended to, and we had still seven minutes to get our seats. I separated Jane from a poodle with which, and with whose mistress, of course,she had made friends, gathered up tny bags and bundies and starled gayly lor tiie train. As we turned into the corridor we saw the great doors swing to, aud our porter shrngged hls shoulders. "But what does it mean?" "Troppo tardi!" "It is only ten minutes past nine. and thfl train leaves at a quarter jiast." "The doors are closed tíve minutes bef ore the train starts." "Then why in!" Bnt no, the man did not understand English, and no poor words of mine coald do justice to the situation. Jano thought otherwise, but then her words are never poor, and on this occasion she sliowed an approach to genius. As a piecc of sketchy characterizatioH, the estímate she expressed of Italian executive ability was worthy of permanent record; but she is over-fastidious in such matters, and prefers that her achievement shold be permitted to remain our