BEECHNUT’S RETURN. 61

 

 

A curious calculation. The omnibus. The boy in the omnibus.

how many business hours in a day are there here? I
will call it six. Thus every day that I stay here my
time costs Mrs. Henry fifty cents an hour. The price of
a ride is six cents, the eighth part of half a dollar. There-
fore [ had. better ride whenever I can save an eighth part
of an hour by it: and that I can do now.”

So saying, Beechnut held up his finger to the driver
of an omnibus which just then came passing by. The
driver reined up his horses, and Beechnut got in.

An omnibus is a long carriage with a door and steps
leading to it behind. The seats within are along the
sides. There are windows too along the sides, but no doors.

When Beechnut got into the omnibus he found that it
was full of passengers, all excepting one seat near the
door, and that seat was occupied by a small boy who was
kneeling up upon it, in order that he might look out
the window. It was a warm morning though rainy, and
the window was open, the wind being on the other side.

Omnibuses in cities are almost always full In rainy
weather, since many people who like to walk when it is
pleasant, are very glad to ride when it rains. This is
particularly true in New York, where m rainy weather it
is sometimes almost impossible to get a place in an
omnibus, or, as they often call it there, a Sus. One day
when Beechnut and Phonny were in New York together,
and were coming up Broadway in an omnibus, both being
jammed up in very close quarters in it, Im one corner,
Beechnut amused Phonny by describing the state of
things thus :

 

On every wet and ramy day,
They crowd the *busses in Broadway,
Against all rule ;