What Norman Saw in the West

by Julia M. Olin

The Starved Rock, however, was not in sight, nor was any rock recalling thrilling legend and heroic story; but another prospect, not so agreeable, from the rear of the car near which they were seated—a long strait road, the rails of which were rather too much curved to suggest ideas of safety. “Don’t you think this road very unsafe?” inquired Mrs. Lester of a gentleman who was contemplating this retrospective view of dangers passed.

“Not very, but it might be safer.”

Up and down jumped all that car-load of passengers, whose faces wore not the calmest and brightest expression. Suddenly there was an explosion that startled people rather ready to be startled, and Mrs. Lester, remembering the torpedoes, turned to Norman, who was looking out of the rear window, and said reproachfully, “Norman, how can you do so?”

Every eye was directed toward the blushing lad, as he earnestly exclaimed, “Mother, it was not me.”

Returning to his seat he looked for the torpedoes, which he found had been jolted off the seat on the floor under his mother’s feet, and a sudden movement of her foot had caused the explosion of ten or twelve of them. “There, mother, it was you after all,” said Norman, as he gathered up his remaining torpedoes.

Again they were startled—a prolonged whistle, and a stoppage of the cars on an embankment at a distance from any station. Every head went out of the windows, and some enterprising passengers went out on the platform to learn the cause of this ominous pause. Again and again that warning whistle; what did it mean? At length the matter was explained. About twenty horses were on the track, galloping on in front of the locomotive, which was obliged to pause till they separated to the right and the left.

Right glad were the party when they arrived at Bloomington. Mrs. Lester wished to go to a very handsome hotel, the photograph of which had been shown to her on the Grey Eagle by the proprietor thereof. A large unfinished building seemed to her very like the photograph she had seen; but that could not be, as the photograph must have been taken from the hotel in its finished, occupied state, with handsome stores beneath. On inquiry she found this was the hotel in question, which stood there, an arrested monument of western enterprise. They went to the hotel opposite, and after tea some friends of Aunt Clara’s called to see them, and to ask them to walk.

Bloomington is a large, finely situated town, on the rising prairie, not far from the fine groves that mark the course of Sugar Creek. The president of the Illinois University (situated in a grove near the town) walked with them, and took them to the observatory on the Female College, where they had a lovely sunset view of the town, the prairie, and the distant woods. How cool and refreshing were those prairie breezes after the intense heat of the day; but they were warned by the fading light that it was time to return. No mountains or hills to prolong the twilight in these regions. The sun sinks, and speedily the darkness comes on. Miss Allen, Aunt Clara’s friend, insisted upon their coming in to see her. With kindly hospitality she had sent for several of Aunt Clara’s friends to meet her; and while Norman was amused with some fireworks in the court-yard, they were refreshed with cake and ice-cream. Miss Allen, her brothers, and Mrs. Lester had very pleasant conversation about some mutual friends, and thus passed the evening to an hour rather late for travelers who were to rise at two o’clock in the morning.

At that early hour they were aroused, and the omnibus conveyed them to the station at three o’clock, where they had the satisfaction of being told that the cars had stopped above the junction, cause unknown. Probably they had run off the track, and they might not arrive before eight o’clock.

“There is the locomotive that is to take us,” said a gentleman, pointing to the expectant iron horse, panting and snorting, and rushing to and fro, as if impatient at the delay. “I saw him in the bank on Saturday, just below here. But he has suffered no harm from running off the track.”