if it were not for exciting the jealousy of the "Garden of Nova
Scotia." The whole land is in fact a garden, but differing somewhat from
the Isle of Wight.

In all travel, however, people are more interesting than land, and so
it was at this time. As twilight shut down upon the valley of the
Kennebeckasis, we heard the strident voice of pa going on with the
Grecian catechism. Pa was unmoved by the beauties of Sussex or by the
colors of the sunset, which for the moment made picturesque the scraggy
evergreens on the horizon. His eyes were with his heart, and that was in
Sparta. Above the roar of the car-wheels we heard his nagging inquiries.

"What did Lycurgus do then?"

Answer not audible.

"No. He made laws. Who did he make laws for?"

"For the Greeks."

"He made laws for the Lacedemonians. Who was another great lawgiver?"

"It was--it was--Pericles."

"No, it was n't. It was Solon. Who was Solon?"

"Solon was one of the wise men of Greece."

"That's right. When did he flourish?"

When the train stops at a station the classics continue, and the
studious group attracts the attention of the passengers. Pa is well
pleased, but not so the young lady, who beseechingly says,

"Pa, everybody can hear us."

"You would n't care how much they heard, if you knew it," replies this
accomplished devotee of learning.

In another lull of the car-wheels we find that pa has skipped over to
Marathon; and this time it is the daughter who is asking a question.

"Pa, what is a phalanx?"

"Well, a phalanx--it's a--it's difficult to define a phalanx. It's a
stretch of men in one line,--a stretch of anything in a line. When did
Alexander flourish?"

This domestic tyrant had this in common with the rest of us, that he was
much better at asking questions than at answering them. It certainly was
not our fault that we were listeners to his instructive struggles with
ancient history, nor that we heard his petulant complaining to his cowed
family, whom he accused of dragging him away on this summer trip. We are
only grateful to him, for a more entertaining person the traveler does
not often see. It was with regret that we lost sight of him at St. John.

Night has settled upon New Brunswick and upon ancient Greece before we
reach the Kennebeckasis Bay, and we only see from the car windows
dimly a pleasant and fertile country, and the peaceful homes of thrifty
people. While we are running along the valley and coming under the
s