At the Station

Did you forget to provide yourself with a fountain pen? I have the one that my sister gave me when I was home. Let us sit down in the waiting-room. I want to address some postal cards. Look at that bewildered crowd. They are our traveling companions. Where do they come from2 ? They have just learned that they need tickets for the trip and they don't know where to buy them. The ticket window is not open yet.

They ought to know that they can't travel in French trains if they have no tickets. Why are they uttering cries? Don't you hear them ? What a tumult ! They are jostling each other like the children at school. They all 3 want to approach the ticket window at the same time. Let us put a little order in that crowd. Let them stand in line. Then each one will stand behind the other. Take your turn after the others if you arrived last.4 Yes, there behind your friend.

How many tickets do you want ? 5 First or 5 second class ? I don't know exactly what you mean. Give me one ticket. Don't you understand? But what class? I don't know. How should I know? What classes have you? Don't push. You are elbowing me too much. Your turn will come soon

1 Omit.

2 Place the preposition at the beginning of the sentence.

3 Place tous after the verb.

4 le dernier or la dernière according to the gender of the antecedent.

5 de.

enough. Do they take American money? Have you your ticket now ?

Open your guidebook and you will no longer be perplexed. You will read that there are three classes of coaches in French railways, that is to say, a different ticket is required1 for each class of coach. Haven't we the same thing in the United States ? We have only one class of ticket and this ticket permits us to travel in an ordinary coach. The French have three different tickets.

However, if you wish to travel in a Pullman coach, it is necessary to buy another ticket, isn't it? Certainly, if you want to travel to your taste you can do it according to your means in the United States as well as in France. Therefore, I still believe that there is very little 2 difference between their trains and ours.