ruffled plumage before a shining milk-pail and apparently
admonishing his unsteady double. It is worth recording that the
turkey was better the next day, and lived, as we were afterwards
told, to a ripe old Thanksgiving age.

The new steering-head came early the next morning; in thirty
minutes it was in place. Our host and valley hostess were then
given their first automobile ride; she, womanlike, took the speed,
sudden turns, and strange sensations more coolly than he. As a
rule, women and children are more fearless than men in an
automobile; this is not because they have more courage, but men
realize more vividly the things that might happen, whereas women
and children simply feel the exhilaration of the speed without
thinking of possible disasters.

We went down the road at a thirty-mile clip, made a quick turn at
the four corners, and were back almost before the dust we raised
had settled.

"That's something like," said our host; "but the old horse is a
good enough automobile for me."

The hold-all was soon strapped in place, and at half-past nine we
were off for Pittsfield.

Passing the Tilden homestead, we soon began the ascent of the
mountain, following the superb new State road.

The old road was through the Shaker village and contained grades
which rendered it impossible for teams to draw any but the