ON A PETONE TRAIN.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 461, 20 March 1909, Page 6

ON A PETONE TRAIN.

.•• -A WAEM EVENING. • ; /'Trifle, warm,'.isn't,'it?"■' This■ remark' in; a hundred different '■ forms was-., heard all over the'city'yesterday. .. "Yds, it is sultry, but there's ".rain about.". The reply,' varied'only .slightly, was. reiterated just, as often, over the afternoon! tea-cup,, at the street'corners, in the cars and traips. .- Round about Lambton• station .atp.m., the city-toilers reunited to catch their- suburban train. - weather" is the greeting of one grimy traveller, and his equally besmirched companion acquiesces.' fervently, "It does take it out' of a chap," as he dries his perspiring Jbrpw.. : , ."Congratulations, Dot."- Every .ear in the' long "first"-,is secretly inclined. . "It is.hot —awfully; really, ,1 don't'think, we have had a day like it before this season."- The' other passengers suddenly lose, interest,' because, they know, beyond ill. doubt, that the afterneon has been smothered in. sun. "and the damp streets, excessively, heated, have made the air.heavy and oppressive.. To talk about, it makes .matters .worse;-far better tovstareout, at the open 'window—it is too hot- to. read. s .. ■ -' •" '■ ' .-.'.' •

: ,"Shocking;day l" Now we.have 'entered the" first smoker,' where matter-of-fact men, who are never surprised St the .most startling change, smoke their cigars and. pipes, indifferent to the : fact-that they are-well nighbroiled. A word,. and then the .subject is dismissed. To , show discomfort' would be unworthy of. that Olympian calm. .He must converse seriously, discussing Dr.; Goodo's .chances, hazarding arSord-on, v -hoxing championships, or .quoting Wisely- -from political speeches, if ho would show himself to' be a citizen of progressive Wellington.. Bodily "comfort? It is nothing. What though hp perspire, he must not,,,grumble; .should his collar choko him, his demeanour must,be unruffled; and-when tho train pulls up smartly ,and <tosses him into the arms of another roasting, smiling gentleman opposite, ho remembers to be. polite in apologising for being a nuisance. How foolish I Everybody knows that a good temper is the hardest thing to keep, on a day such as.yesterday was; and pent-up wrath should not be taken home to, .dinner.

In- . another: carriage the talk is principally, of how the farmers will like' it.' Just how rain and heat will affect- "the country" every city dweller is -supposed to know, judging by the conversation of the, trains.- . . "It's a southerly,"- exclaims a callow youth; "therei'll-be fishing to-morrow,if it holds." In every second-class carriage on every railway section thore is a callow youth, and nobody over bothers to notice him. While this particular youth in the 5.10 train last evening was uttering words of wisdom, the others round him were weakly sighing and longing for another-shower. They were another, type—those in the second-class cars. The. guard must'be a' man of tact on a train, such as this. There are so many "annuals'," "quarterlies," and "privileges" which he must insist on seeing, without giving offence to pa-ssengers who believe that "he ought;to know by this time." But the guifrd of the-5.10 knows his business, , and does his round efficiently.'.