d-still before very long; the evil
moment, possibly the evil hour, may be postponed, but seldom the
evil day.

At two o'clock we passed through Springfield, stopping only a
moment at the hotel to inquire for mail. Leaving Springfield we
followed the main road towards Worcester, some fifty miles away.
The road is winding and over a rolling country, but for the most
part very good. The grades are not steep, there are some sandy
spots, but none so soft as to materially interfere with good
speed. There are many stretches of good gravel, and here and there
a piece--a sample--of State road, perfectly laid macadam, with
signs all along requesting persons not to drive in the centre of
the highway,--this is to save the road from the hollows and ruts
that horses and narrow-tired wagons invariably make, and in which
the water stands, ultimately wearing the macadam through. We could
not see that the slightest attention was paid to the notices.
Everybody kept the middle of the road, such is the improvidence of
men; the country people grumble at the great expense of good
roads, and then take the surest way to ruin them.

While it is true that the people in the first instance grumble at
the prospective cost of these well-made State roads, no sooner are
they laid than their very great value is appreciated, and good
roads sentiment becomes rampant. The farmer who has worn out
horses, harness, wagons, and temper in getting light loads to
market over heavy roads is quick to appreciate the very material
advantage and economy of having highways over which one horse can
pull as much as two under the old sandy, rough, and muddy
conditions.

A good road may be the making of a town, and it increases the
value of all abutting property. Already the question is commonly
asked when a farm is offered for sale or rent, "Is it on a State
road?" Lots will not sell in cities unless all improvements are
in; soon farmers will not be able to sell unless the highways are
improved.

One good thing about the automobile, it does not cut up the
surface of a macadam or gravel road as do steel tires and
horseshoes.

At the outskirts of the little village of West Brookfield we came
to a stand-still; the spark disappeared,--or rather from a large,
round, fat spark it dropped to an insignificant little blue
sparklet that would not explode a squib.

The way the spark acted with either or both batteries on indicated
pretty strongly that the trouble was in t