Jane on the Eight-Fifteen In the beginning, Jane's trip on the eight-fifteen went exactly as she and Mrs. Price had practiced it yesterday in their conversation over the back fence. She woke up when the sun rose and the rooster crowed. There was bound to be a surprise or two, especially for someone like Jane who had never before gone on a train all by herself. She felt excited and happy. No wonder people liked to travel, going somewhere, anywhere, to a near or faraway place. She dressed quickly, put on her blue dotted-Swiss dress, her shoes, and her socks, and sat down on the front porch. She had her satchel beside her. On top of it, she put her little red patent-leather pocketbook and her white piqué hat, with its make-believe red cherries around it. She seemed to be the only person up anywhere. Dew sparkled on the grass. The trees and bushes looked brighter and fresher than usual. How sweet was the smell of honeysuckle on the fences, how pungent the smell of the hop vines growing by the porch!
