g by an ordinary train, she could have insured
1000 pounds, first-class, for 3 pence; half that sum, second-class, for
2 pence; and 200 pounds, third-class, for the ridiculously small sum of
one penny!

Good Mrs Tipps held the opinion so firmly that accident was the usual,
and all but inevitable, accompaniment of railway travelling, that she
invariably insured her life when compelled to undertake a journey. It
was of no avail that her son Joseph pointed out to her that accidents
were in reality few and far between, and that they bore an excessively
small proportion to the numbers of journeys undertaken annually; Mrs
Tipps was not to be moved. In regard to that subject she had, to use
one of her late husband's phrases, "nailed her colours to the mast," and
could not haul them down even though she would. She therefore, when
about to undertake a journey, invariably took out an insurance ticket,
as we have said,--and this, solely with a views to Netta's future
benefit.

We would not have it supposed that we object, here, to the principle of
insuring against accident. On the contrary, we consider that principle
to be a wise one, and, in some cases, one that becomes almost a duty.

When Mrs Tipps discovered that Mrs Marrot and Gertie were going by the
same train, she was so much delighted at the unlooked-for companionship
that she at once entered the third-class, where they sat, and began to
make herself comfortable beside them, but presently recollecting that
she had a first-class ticket she started up and insisted on Mrs Marrot
and Gertie going first-class along with her, saying that she would pay
the difference. Mrs Marrot remonstrated, but Mrs Tipps, strong in her
natural liberality of spirit which had been rather wildly set free by
her recent good fortune, would not be denied.

"You must come with me, Mrs Marrot," she said. "I'm so frightened in
railways, you have no idea what a relief it is to me to have any one
near me whom I know. I will change your tickets; let me have them,
quick; we have no time to lose--there--now, wait till I return. Oh! I
forgot your insurance tickets."

"W'y, bless you, ma'am, we never insures."

"You never insure!" exclaimed Mrs Tipps in amazement; "and it only
costs you threepence for one thousand pounds."

"Well, I don't know nothink as to that--" said Mrs Marrot.

Before she could finish the sentence Mrs Tipps was gone.

She returned in breathless haste, beckoned Mrs Marr