The Sleeping-Car: A Farce

by William Dean Howells

"The Sleeping-Car: A Farce" by William Dean Howells is a play first published in 1883. Set entirely aboard a railway sleeping car over 24 hours, the comedy follows Mrs. Roberts as she travels to Boston with her baby and aunt to meet her husband and brother. Late-night confusion erupts when unexpected passengers board the train, leading to mistaken identities and comical confrontations among sleepy travelers in cramped quarters. This minor work demonstrates Howells' characteristic literary realism through its humorous examination of social interactions.