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The Wicked Uncles—Stagnation and Isolation.

Tradition and Romance are the weft and the woof in the fabric of the Empire. So with the Railway, there is History buried in every yard of the permanent way—history of hardship, hope and accomplishment; the best traditions of the race are welded into the miles of metal, and the Romance of the Rail echoes in every beat of the wheels, for those with ears to hear. Romance and Tradition are twins. Thus, dear reader, a train is much more than a mere mass of metal capable of propulsion along parallel rails. It is part of our lives, and has helped to make us what we are, whatever we are. Without the railway we would be babes in the woods, left to our fate by the wicked uncles, Stagnation and Isolation. We would stand as much chance of keeping the sunny side up as a cataleptic cat in a capsized catamaran. With Christmas about to foreclose on the mortgage of moil and toil, the railway comes to the aid of the People, offering capital enjoyment and attractive interest. Sport and transport, high jinks at low prices, fresh air for stale care, and a thousand miles of smiles. Lads and lassies, the price is right and the goods are proven.