Joseph's Railroad Dreams
Elementary: Grades 3–4
Story
On the big day, Joseph and Lily put on their best clothes for the trip. Lily chose her favorite pink dress printed with small flowers. It had long sleeves that were puffy at the top but tight around her lower arms, with lacy trim and a striped belt. She buttoned her white boots around her ankles and brought her new striped red and white coat with the wide collar that covered her shoulders like a short cape.
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Joseph felt very grown-up in his best tan-colored shirt and light brown suit with dark brown trim along the edges. Like Lily, he buttoned up his boots and brought his brown wool coat with a velvet collar. Their mother checked them over from head to toe and made sure the children hadn't forgotten anything. Joseph hugged his grandfather goodbye. "I'll send you a postcard every day, Grandpa!" he promised as they headed to catch the train.
When the family arrived at the Grand Passenger Station, Joseph stared up at the enormous building. It was several stories tall, and had rows and rows of windows. The trains came in and out of a giant train shed behind the building. The street out front was crowded with people, luggage, and horse carts, and there was lots of noise. Joseph felt like there were more people than he'd ever seen, all coming and going. "Come on, Joseph!" Lily called back to him. He ran to catch up with his family as they went under the front awning and into the bustling station.
Joseph ran ahead to find the right car. "Over here!" he urged his family, hopping up and down eagerly. By the door, a man stood, dressed in a uniform with gleaming metal buttons, shiny shoes, and a round hat. A watch on a chain dangled from one pocket, and a crisp handkerchief peeked out of another. The man chuckled at Joseph's excitement. He was the porter on the family's train car, and his job was to make sure their trip was comfortable.
"I'm going to Omaha," Joseph told him. "It's my first time."
The porter smiled. "Get ready for a good ride!" The porter helped each member of the family step up into the train using a small wooden stool. Joseph's stomach felt bubbly with happiness.
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Inside the train car, Joseph looked around in awe. The ceiling was beautifully painted, and the wood trim was carved with fancy patterns. Some windows were made of stained glass. The seats were covered in soft velvet, perfect for a comfortable ride.
"You can sit next to the window," Lily told her brother. She always made fun of Joseph and his trains, but now that she was actually riding one, Lily couldn't believe how exciting it was. Joseph was right after all—she did feel like a queen.
They settled into their seats, clutching their tickets. The conductor came around and put holes in their tickets with a shiny metal punch. The punch had a picture of a train engraved on the front and kept a count inside of everyone on board. Joseph carefully put his ticket in his front pocket. He wanted to make sure he kept his first one as a souvenir.
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