An interesting train ride

Left at seven o’clock the next morning for Dresden, in a RailRoad Car, which was quite a relief after having so long travelled in Diligences & Schnell Posts.  In entering our car we found that the seats were not numbered as usually and that from this cause we had our backs to the engine, in lieu of our faces or rather one of us, as there were only two other persons in the car.  The fact caused some talk between us and the man at the depot, which caused in the end a very agreeable acquaintance to be formed between [67] the other occupants of the Car and ourselves.  ‘Twas so different from any thing of the kind that could ever occur in England or with us, that I must make a note of it.  The only other occupants of the first class carriages besides ourselves were two ladies, a mother and daughter.  On our entering the young lady who was on a back seat opposite her mother and I immediately with American, not English politeness in such a case, addressed her in French requesting her to keep her seat as it made not the least difference to her.  She however insisted on the fact that she preferred to ride backwards, and thus we both left the seat unoccupied, her mother and my companion (who is made sick by riding otherwise) only remaining upon the seat.