Another thing that did seem strange to us wuz that we didn’t have any checks for our baggage to take care on. That seems dretful queer to Americans to have to go out and hunt round and find our own trunks. Though we had no trouble with ourn, for it wuz a very valuable one, and easy to be recognized with the naked eye. It wuz a trunk that belonged to Father Allen, and made on honor, and it lasted him through his life, and then descended onto Josiah—and will, we think, descend, as good as new, onto Thomas Jefferson.
One reason it has wore so well is, I spoze, that Father Allen never took but one trip in his life with it, and that wuz up to Canada. That journey lasted him for a story all his days; he wuz looked upon with considerable or as a highly travelled man.
The trunk is covered with hair of a good gray color and trimmed off handsome with brass nails. And Josiah, to make sure of its not bein’ stole, writ our names in bright, brass-headed tacks. It took him quite a spell. He sed he believed in doin’ the fair thing by me, so it reads—
“Josiah and Samantha Allen.
Jonesville,
U. S.”
Them letters wuz a stroke of genius.
Them last letters he sed wuz a stroke of genius. He sed the English people would be so tickled when they see it, for they would see in a minute that he and me had really come over! We wuz there! “us!” Samantha and Josiah! and then, too, it would stand for the United States.
He made them two letters of a little bigger nails, but they wuz all good sized, and a very bright brass color.
And truly it did seem as if England wuz glad to have us there, for I don’t remember of seein’ a single Englishman that looked at that trunk that didn’t laugh when he see it, or smile warmly. Yes, they wuz glad enough to have us there.
Martin didn’t see the trunk until we arrove at the steamer, and it affected him different. He looked fairly stunted and browbeat when he sot his eyes on it; evidently he thought it wuz a pity to run the resk of jammin’ it, or gittin’ the nails rusty, for sez he: