The Sleeping-Car

Curtained berths and restless passengers turn an overnight train ride into a small theatre of embarrassment. In William Dean Howells's farce, Agnes Roberts travels on the Boston and Albany Road with her baby and Aunt Mary. Agnes worries about her brother Willis returning from California and meeting her husband Edward. Her anxious conversation carries through the car, drawing complaints and teasing replies from people who would prefer to sleep.

The comedy grows out of ordinary travel arrangements: climbing into an upper berth, keeping a baby comfortable, and finding someone behind the right curtain. Aunt Mary's practical remarks answer Agnes's stream of concerns, while unseen passengers supply an impatient chorus. Written as dialogue with stage directions, the play makes the cramped carriage central to its humor. Readers interested in American drama and the social habits of railroad travel can find both in this brief, busy scene.