They are always talking about that, and,
indeed, seem never to speak about anything else. A few hours' journey
in one of these district railways, which are called the
_Chemins-de-fer-Vicinaux_, is a far better way of getting a peep at
the Belgian people than rushing along in an express train from one big
town to another.
The first railway on the Continent of Europe was in Belgium. It was
opened seventy-four years ago--in May, 1835--and ran from Brussels,
the capital of Belgium, to Malines, a town which you will see on the
map. There are now, of course, a great many railways, which belong to
the State and not, as in England, to private companies.
Season tickets are much used on Belgian railways. For instance, anyone
wishing to travel for five days on end has only to pay L1 4s. 7d. for
a first-class ticket, 16s. 5d. for a second-class, or 9s. 5d. for a
third-class. For these small sums you can go all over Belgium on the
State railways, stopping as often as you please, at any hour of the
day or night, for five days. All you have to do is to take a small
photograph of yourself to the station an hour before you intend to
start, and tell the railway clerk at the booking-office by which class
you wish to travel, and when you go back to the station you will find
your ticket ready, with your photograph pasted on it, so that the
guards may know that you are the person to whom it belongs.
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