the

Anyway Babs and I, after we got over our sadness at saying farewell to our parents, and in sadness does not last very long, enyoung joyed our trip up north. We had lunch in the buffet car and enjoyed exploring the carriages in the train. Our destination was Newcastle, where we were to be met by our Aunt Louise.

We arrived about six o'clock in the evening, having taken the noon train from King's Cross. Aunt Louise met us at the station and we saw at once that she had not changed from what we nemembered of her. She gave us a cool peck of a kiss on the cheek, which boyishly embarrassed me on a crowded platform.

As she led us out of the station to her car, I saw that she was not very cordial or friendly. She seemed to have nothing to say to us. She was tall and thin and looked very stern and severe. But I thought I would try to be friendly with her, and asked, "Where are our twin cousins, Carol and Mabs?"

Sis joined in and said, "We thought they might be here to meet us.

Our aunt said rather sourly, "The children are just your age, and if they had come to meet you they would have been late for their bedtime. Also, it is not Mabs, but Mabel. I do not

countenance shortened names or nicknames. Children

are christened with a certain name and that is what they should use and be called."

car,

Her tone and reproof were enough to quiet us and discourage us from further conversation. The reproof along with the cool reception we had gotten so far, made us homesick, and we did not feel like any more talk. But as we walked to our aunt's I could not help pitying our lout. Already in the few words Aunt Louise had uttered she had revealed some of those old-fashioned traits which Mum had mentioned. We were stiffly to use our full names and not shorten them. Our twin cousins were about the same age as we were, and yet they were not allowed to come and meet us because of their bedtime. This made me wonder why their bedtime was so ridiculously early and would we be expected to go at the same time, or whether Donwater was so far from Newcastle that it would be very late when we would arrive.

Aunt Louise ushered us into her little Austin, putting us both in the back seat as if we were little children, and leaving the seat beside her empty. I had carried the two small bags we had and deposited them in the boot of the car. was apprehensive when I found that it took us less than an hour to reach Donwater and Aunt's