Дети железной дороги

           "It’snogood,"saidPeter,whenallofthemhadthoughtandthoughttilltheirheadsfeltquiteheavyandswollen;"ifwecan’tthinkofanythingtoamusehim,wejustcan’t,andthere’sanendofit.Perhapssomethingwilljusthappenofitsownaccordthathe’lllike."

           "ThingsDOhappenbythemselvessometimes,withoutyourmakingthem,"saidPhyllis,ratherasthough,usually,everythingthathappenedintheworldwasherdoing.

           "Iwishsomethingwouldhappen,"saidBobbie,dreamily,"somethingwonderful."

           Andsomethingwonderfuldidhappenexactlyfourdaysaftershehadsaidthis.IwishIcouldsayitwasthreedaysafter,becauseinfairytalesitisalwaysthreedaysafterthatthingshappen.Butthisisnotafairystory,andbesides,itreallywasfourandnotthree,andIamnothingifnotstrictlytruthful.

           TheyseemedtobehardlyRailwaychildrenatallinthosedays,andasthedayswentoneachhadanuneasyfeelingaboutthiswhichPhyllisexpressedoneday.

           "IwonderiftheRailwaymissesus,"shesaid,plaintively."Wenevergotoseeitnow."

           "Itseemsungrateful,"saidBobbie;"weloveditsowhenwehadn’tanyoneelsetoplaywith."

           "PerksisalwayscominguptoaskafterJim,"saidPeter,"andthesignalman’slittleboyisbetter.Hetoldmeso."

           "Ididn’tmeanthepeople,"explainedPhyllis;"ImeantthedearRailwayitself.