ld, you have an old head on young shoulders! Now
come and help me to comfort the poor darling boys. Ah! Miss Agnes, you
are all orphans together now; and I how things are going to end is more
than I know!"

(_To be continued._)

About Some Famous Railway Trains.

SOME FAMOUS RAILWAY TRAINS AND THEIR STORY.

_By_ HENRY FRITH.

I.--THE "FLYING DUTCHMAN."

[Illustration]

"Where to, sir?" said the cab-driver, touching his hat.

"Great Western, please, Paddington," we replied, and in a moment the
trap of the hansom was shut, and we were bowling along Piccadilly.

A civil porter received us at Paddington Station, and took our luggage
for Swindon. We are going no farther to-day, because we want to see the
"Flying Dutchman," not only "flying," but at rest. So first we secure a
seat and then walk down the platform. We have some minutes to spare; the
clock points to 11.38; we must start at 11.45 by the Great Western
express, the "Dutchman," as it is familiarly called, after that
mysterious sailor who came and went with such alarming celerity.

Here we are then, the summer holidays before us; and perhaps many of the
readers of LITTLE FOLKS will be travelling by the "Flying (railway)
Dutchman," by the time these lines are before them. Come with me and
look at our big "iron horse," which will pull us to Swindon at the
average speed of fifty-three miles an hour, which means at times the
fine rate of sixty miles an hour.

Our "Dutchman's" engine on this occasion is named "Crimea," and a fine
fellow he is. This engine has eight wheels; two immense "driving wheels"
eight feet high, more than twenty-four feet round, so each time that
wheel revolves we travel (say) twenty-five feet, and when we are in full
swing we shall go about _thirty yards a second!_ The 11.45 down train
from Paddington, and the corresponding up train from Exeter, are the two
"Flying Dutchmen." There are two other trains which run equally fast, up
and down in the afternoon. These are the "Zulu" trains, for they were
started as expresses at the time the Prince Imperial was killed in
Zululand.

The great engine waits at the end of the platform, and as we are good
little people--like the fairies--we will jump up on the foot-plate of
the "Crimea" locomotive, and no one will notice us. Give me your
hand--there. Now you are standing on the foot-plate; the engine-tender,
full of water and topped with coal, is behind you, the great high boiler
with th