THE BOY IN THE MODEL T

....is the author who crossed the country with Mamma and Gramp in the Ford, Emma, in 1919-1920, and this is the story not only of the rugged trip but of two compatible but critical personalities, for Gramp was ""old but still springy in the joints"" and Mamma alone could hold her own with him. For the twelve year old there was the constant uncertainty of the car's progress over what were supposed to be roads, replacements for it that meant short to long stopovers, and the ever present chance that Mamma would send Gramp to Coventry for his ribald remarks. Their route took them down through the South where Gramp judged a dog show; a flash flood and high times with relatives in St. Louis; Oklahoma where a Cordon Bleu Aunt Gussle annoyed Gramp and her daughter opened murderous warfare on Stevie; the Rockies and riding and hunting; San Francisco where Stevie fell in love and learned about jazz; the silent pictures in Hollywood and back through Tucson, New Orleans, Florida, and up through the South where Stevie acquired a hawk. Gramp's gout was a menace; Mamma almost walked out on him; food, good and bad, was always of interest to them, as were the drinks; and the trio racked up an assortment of minor traveling experiences, together with some major family flareups. A transcontinental tour- that reflects the period- offers a lively backward look.