detached and pushed a few steps
back. It was a queer little car--like an enormous goods-box set upon
end--and the interior was nearly filled with trunks, barrels and freight
of various kinds. But by pushing about and piling up the things room was
made for us, and two of the smaller boxes were left near the door to
serve as seats, which the two elder women were invited to occupy, while
I, as the youngest and smallest of the company, was assisted by the
director to climb up into a rocking-chair that stood on the top of a
hogshead in the corner, where I had an excellent seat, except that I was
obliged to crouch a little in order not to hit my head against the
ceiling.

Having disposed of us, the three gentlemen set themselves to the work of
pushing the car back toward Corning. They could only move it by resting
their hands against the sill of the open door and then pressing forward
with all their might, their feet being braced against the earth, so that
their bodies seemed almost in a horizontal position. After once starting
it, they were in hopes to be able to keep it in motion without much
difficulty. But the task proved to be a harder one than they had
anticipated. The car was strongly built and cumbrous in itself, and the
freight it carried was heavy, to say nothing of our additional weight.
Then, too, the snow had fallen to the depth of several inches, clogging
the wheels and encumbering the footsteps of the men and darkness added
to the difficulty.

After struggling along for a considerable time there was a pause for
rest and consultation. Just then a light twinkled far over the meadows,
probably in the little hut which the milliner had described; and it was
decided that the two young men should go there and try to borrow a
horse. Accordingly, they scrambled down the steep bank, while the
director shook the snow off his clothes and came into the car to rest
until their return. We did our best to be hospitable. The milliner
wanted him to take her seat on the box, and I offered to descend from my
perch and let him have the rocking-chair; but he refused both proposals,
and, finding a small barrel in an opposite corner, seated himself upon
it and declared that he was quite comfortable. He seemed to look upon
the whole adventure as a good joke, and we thought we could do no less
than be merry also; so we chatted and laughed and told stories, and at
last, discovering that he was very fond of music, I sang several songs,