nd Malleville good-by.

[Illustration: THE DEPARTURE.]

By this time the driver of the stage had finished strapping on the
trunk, and had opened the door and was waiting for Stuyvesant to get
in. Beechnut handed Stuyvesant a small note. He said that the
Traveling Rule was inside of it, but that Stuyvesant must not open the
note until he got into the car on the railroad. So Stuyvesant took the
note and put it in his pocket, and then shaking hands with Beechnut
and Phonny, and putting his carpet-bag in before him, he climbed up
the steps and got into the stage. The driver shut the door, mounted
upon the box, and drove away.

Stuyvesant had about twenty-five miles to go in the stage. He was then
to take the cars upon a railroad and go about a hundred and fifty
miles to Boston. From Boston he was to go to New York, either by the
railroad all the way, or by one of the Sound boats, just as he
pleased.

Stuyvesant had a great curiosity to know what the rule was which
Beechnut had written for him as a universal direction for traveling.
He had, however, been forbidden to open the note until he should reach
the cars. So he waited patiently, wondering what the rule could be.

One reason in fact why Beechnut had directed Stuyvesant not to open
his note until he should reach the cars, was to give him something to
occupy his attention and amuse his thoughts on first going away from
home. The feeling of loneliness and home-sickness to be apprehended in
traveling under such circumstances, is always much greater when first
setting out on the journey than afterward, and Beechnut being aware
of this, thought it desirable to give Stuyvesant something to think of
when he first drove away from the door.

When Stuyvesant first got into the stage he took a place on the middle
of the front seat, which was not a very good place, for he could not
see. Pretty soon, however, he had an opportunity to change to a place
on the middle seat, near the window. Here he enjoyed the ride very
much. He could look out and see the farms, and the farm-houses, and
the people passing, as the stage drove along, and at intervals he
amused himself with listening to the conversation of the people in the
stage.

It was about ten o'clock when the stage arrived at the railroad
station. As they drew near to the place, Stuyvesant began to consider
what he should have to do in respect to getting his trunk transferred
from the stage to the train of cars. He knew ver