They are ingeniously contrived to be
like an ordinary car by day; but by means of cushions spread between the
seats and a flat board let down half way from the ceiling, two tiers of
very comfortable beds are made on each side of the car, with a passage
between. The whole looks so like a cabin of a ship, that it is difficult
not to imagine oneself on board a steamboat. Twenty-four beds, each
large enough to hold two persons, can be made up in the cars, and the
strange jumble of ladies and gentlemen all huddled together was rather
ludicrous, and caused peals of laughter from some of the laughter-loving
American damsels. The cots are provided with pillows and warm quilted
counter-panes and curtains, which are all neatly packed away under the
seats in the daytime. The resemblance to the steamboat in papa's
half-waking moments seemed too much for his brain to be quite clear on
the subject of where he was. Thrower, who had shared my couch, got up
_sea sick_ at about four in the morning, the motion of the carriage not
suiting her while in a recumbent position, and retired to a seat at one
end of the carriage. As we neared Columbus, papa became very restless,
and made a descent from over my head, declaring the heat was
intolerable. "Where," said I, "is your cloth cap?" "Oh!" he answered, "I
have thrown that away long ago; that's gone to the fishes.
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