Of course, "The Rudge" is an extreme case, but this endearing personality on the roads is real. It is a feature of the older rural roads that developed from the first ancient tracks. The town's name, which combines a Roman or Saxon suffix with a British base, has several clues. Three hundred years ago, in better times, mariners from Bristol City peered out from the prows of their ships and weren't sure if the land they could see was maybe Jerusalem or Madagascar. Thinking about what Americans refer to as the "getting-off site," Ulysses observed, "It may be that the gulfs will wash us down, and it may be that we may touch the Happy Isles."

It will never make sense to the average person why a book buyer purchases books. It would be cowardly to stay out of the fight while books continue to flaunt their venal charms.

The cashier had developed a certain way of viewing life, the rushing, rushing, traveling, selling Life of the Highway, at its best. Above all, he belonged to a small group of people with keen vision who are aware of both their strengths and their true desires.