English fiction -- 20th century; Humorous stories, English; Short stories, English
He lay back in his corner, thinking. For a time his mind was
occupied with the thoughts common to most of us when we go
away--thoughts of all the things we have forgotten to pack. I don't
think you could fairly have called Ronald over-anxious about
clothes. He recognized that it was the inner virtues which counted;
that a well-dressed exterior was nothing without some graces of mind
or body. But at the same time he did feel strongly that, if you are
going to stay at a house where you have never visited before, and if
you are particularly anxious to make a good impression, it IS a pity
that an accident of packing should force you to appear at dinner in
green knickerbockers and somebody else's velvet smoking-jacket.
Ronald couldn't help feeling that he had forgotten something. It
wasn't the spare sponge; it wasn't the extra shaving-brush; it
wasn't the second pair of bedroom slippers. Just for a moment the
sun went behind a cloud as he wondered if he had included the
reserve razor-strop; but no, he distinctly remembered packing that.
The reason for his vague feeling of unrest was this. He had been
interrupted while getting ready that afternoon; and as he left
whatever he had been doing in order to speak to his housekeeper he
had said to himself, "If you're not careful, you'll forget about
that when you come back." And now he could not remember what it was
he had been doing, nor whether he HAD in the end forgotten to go on
with it. Was he selecting his ties, or brushing his hair, or--
The country was appearing field by field; the train rushed through
cuttings gay with spring flowers; blue was the sky between the baby
clouds ... but it all missed Ronald. What COULD he have forgotten?
He went over the days that were coming; he went through all the
changes of toilet that the hours might bring. He had packed this and
this and this and this--he was all right for the evening. Supposing
they played golf? ... He was all right for golf. He might want to
ride .... He would be able to ride. It was too early for
lawn-tennis, but ... well, anyhow, he had put in flannels.
As he considered all the possible clothes that he might want, it
really seemed that he had provided for everything. If he liked, he
could go to church on Friday morning; hunt otters from twelve to one
on Saturday; toboggan or dig for badgers on Monday. He had the
different suits necessary for those who attend a water-polo meeting,
who play chess, or who go out after moths with a pot of treacle. And
even, in the last resort, he could go to bed.
Yes, he was all right. He had packed EVERYTHING; moreover, his hair
was brushed and he had no smut upon his face. With a sigh of relief
he lowered the window and his soul drank in the beautiful afternoon.
"We are going away--we are going away--we are going away," sang the
train.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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