the peterkin papers-第16章

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　The　next　scene　was　gorgeous。　Solomon　John；　as　a　Turk；　reclined　on　John　　Osborne's　army…blanket。　He　had　on　a　turban；　and　a　long　beard；　and　all　the　family　　shawls。　Ann　Maria　and　Elizabeth　Eliza　were　brought　in　to　him；　veiled；　by　the　　little　boys　in　their　Hindoo　costumes。

This　was　considered　the　great　scene　of　the　evening；　though　Elizabeth　Eliza　was　　sure　she　did　not　know　what　to　do；…whether　to　kneel　or　sit　down；　she　did　not　know　　whether　Turkish　women　did　sit　down；　and　she　could　not　help　laughing　whenever　she　　looked　at　Solomon　John。　He；　however；　kept　his　solemnity。　〃I　suppose　I　need　not　　say　much；〃　he　had　said；　〃for　I　shall　be　the　'Turk　who　was　dreaming　of　the　　hour。'〃　But　he　did　order　the　little　boys　to　bring　sherbet；　and　when　they　brought　　it　without　ice　insisted　they　must　have　their　heads　cut　off；　and　Ann　Maria　　fainted；　and　the　scene　closed。

〃What　are　we　to　do　now？〃　asked　John　Osborne；　warming　up　to　the　occasion。

〃We　must　have　an　'inn'　scene；〃　said　Elizabeth　Eliza；　consulting　her　letter；　〃two　　inns；　if　we　can。〃

　〃We　will　have　some　travellers　disgusted　with　one　inn；　and　going　to　another；〃

said　John　Osborne。

〃Now　is　the　time　for　the　bandboxes；〃　said　Solomon　John；　who；　since　his　Turk　　scene　was　over；　could　give　his　attention　to　the　rest　of　the　charade。

Elizabeth　Eliza　and　Ann　Maria　went　on　as　rival　hostesses；　trying　to　draw　Solomon　　John；　Agamemnon；　and　John　Osborne　into　their　several　inns。　The　little　boys　　carried　valises；　hand…bags；　umbrellas；　and　bandboxes。　Bandbox　after　bandbox　　appeared；　and　when　Agamemnon　sat　down　upon　his　the　applause　was　immense。　At　last　　the　curtain　fell。

〃Now　for　the　whole；〃　said　John　Osborne；　as　he　made　his　way　off　the　stage　over　a　　heap　of　umbrellas。

〃I　can't　think　why　the　lady　from　Philadelphia　did　not　send　me　the　whole；〃　said　　Elizabeth　Eliza；　musing　over　the　letter。

〃Listen；　they　are　guessing；〃　said　John　Osborne。　〃'D…ice…box。'　I　don't　wonder　　they　get　it　wrong。〃

〃But　we　know　it　can't　be　that！〃　exclaimed　Elizabeth　Eliza；　in　agony。　〃How　can　we　　act　the　whole　if　we　don't　know　it　ourselves？〃

〃Oh；　I　see　it！〃　said　Ann　Maria；　clapping　her　hands。　〃Get　your　whole　family　in　　for　the　last　scene。〃

Mr。　and　Mrs。　Peterkin　were　summoned　to　the　stage；　and　formed　the　background；　　standing　on　stools；　in　front　were　Agamemnon　and　Solomon　John；　leaving　room　for　　Elizabeth　Eliza　between；　a　little　in　advance；　and　in　front　of　all；　half　　kneeling；　were　the　little　boys；　in　their　india…rubber　boots。

The　audience　rose　to　an　exclamation　of　delight；　〃The　Peterkins　！〃　〃P…Turk…Inns！〃

　It　was　not　until　this　moment　that　Elizabeth　Eliza　guessed　the　whole。

〃What　a　tableau！〃　exclaimed　Mr。　Bromwick；　〃the　Peterkin　family　guessing　their　　own　charade。〃

　THE　PETERKINS　ARE　OBLIGED　TO　MOVE。　　AGAMEMNON　had　long　felt　it　an　impropriety　to　live　in　a　house　that　was　called　a　　〃semi…detached〃　house；　when　there　was　no　other　〃semi〃　to　it。　It　had　always　　remained　wholly　detached；　as　the　owner　had　never　built　the　other　half。　Mrs。

Peterkin　felt　this　was　not　a　sufficient　reason　for　undertaking　the　terrible　　process　of　a　move　to　another　house；　when　they　were　fully　satisfied　with　the　one　　they　were　in。

But　a　more　powerful　reason　forced　them　to　go。　The　track　of　a　new　railroad　had　to　　be　carried　directly　through　the　place；　and　a　station　was　to　be　built　on　that　　very　spot。

Mrs。　Peterkin　so　much　dreaded　moving　that　she　questioned　whether　they　could　not　　continue　to　live　in　the　upper　part　of　the　house　and　give　up　the　lower　part　to　　the　station。　They　could　then　dine　at　the　restaurant；　and　it　would　be　very　　convenient　about　travelling；　as　there　would　be　no　danger　of　missing　the　train；　　if　one　were　sure　of　the　direction。

But　when　the　track　was　actually　laid　by　the　side　of　the　house；　and　the　　steam…engine　of　the　construction　train　puffed　and　screamed　under　the　dining…room　　windows；　and　the　engineer　calmly　looked　in　to　see　what　the　family　had　for　　dinner；　she　felt；　indeed；　that　they　must　move。

But　where　should　they　go？　It　was　difficult　to　find　a　house　that　satisfied　the　　whole　family。　One　was　too　far　off；　and　looked　into　a　tan…pit；　another　was　too　　much　in　the　middle　of　the　town；　next　door　to　a　machine…shop。　Elizabeth　Eliza　　wanted　a　porch　covered　with　vines；　that　should　face　the　sunset；　while　Mr。

Peterkin　thought　it　would　not　be　convenient　to　sit　there　looking　towards　the　　west　in　the　late　afternoon　（which　was　his　only　leisure　time）；　for　the　sun　would　　shine　in　his　face。　The　little　boys　wanted　a　house　with　a　great　many　doors；　so　　that　they　could　go　in　and　out　often。　But　Mr。　Peterkin　did　not　like　so　much　　slamming；　and　felt　there　was　more　danger　of　burglars　with　so　many　doors。

Agamemnon　wanted　an　observatory；　and　Solomon　John　a　shed　for　a　workshop。　If　he　　could　have　carpenters'　tools　and　a　workbench　he　could　build　an　observatory；　if　　it　were　wanted。

　But　it　was　necessary　to　decide　upon　something；　for　they　must　leave　their　house　　directly。　So　they　were　obliged　to　take　Mr。　Finch's；　at　the　Corners。　It　satisfied　　none　of　the　family。　The　porch　was　a　piazza；　and　was　opposite　a　barn。　There　were　　three　other　doors；…too　many　to　please　Mr。　Peterkin；　and　not　enough　for　the　　little　boys。　There　was　no　observatory；　and　nothing　to　observe　if　there　were　one；　　as　the　house　was　too　low　and　some　high　trees　shut　out　any　view。　Elizabeth　Eliza　　had　hoped　for　a　view；　but　Mr。　Peterkin　con　soled　her　by　deciding　it　was　more　　healthy　to　have　to　walk　for　a　view；　and　Mrs。　Peterkin　agreed　that　they　might　get　　tired　of　the　same　every　day。

　And　everybody　was　glad　a　selection　was　made；　and　the　little　boys　carried　their　　india…rubber　boots　the　very　first　afternoon。

Elizabeth　Eliza　wanted　to　have　some　system　in　the　moving；　and　spent　the　evening　　in　drawing　up　a　plan。　It　would　be　easy　to　arrange　everything　beforehand；　so　that　　there　should　not　be　the　confusion　that　her　mother　dreaded；　and　the　discomfort　　they　had　in　their　last　move。　Mrs。　Peterkin　shook　her　head；　she　did　not　think　it　　possible　to　move　with　any　comfort。　Agamemnon　said　a　great　deal　could　be　done　　with　a　list　and　a　programme。

　Elizabeth　Eliza　declared　if　all　were　well　arranged　a　programme　would　make　it　　perfectly　easy。　They　were　to　have　new　parlor　carpets；　which　could　be　put　down　in　　the　new　house　the　first　thing。　Then　the　parlor　furniture　could　be　moved　in；　and　　there　would　be　two　comfortable　rooms；　in　which　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Peterkin　could　sit　　while　the　rest　of　the　move　went　on。　Then　the　old　parlor　carpets　could　be　taken　　up　for　the　new　dining…room　and　the　downstairs　bedroom；　and　the　family　could　　meanwhile　dine　at　the　old　house。　Mr。　Peterkin　did　not　object　to　this；　though　the　　distance　was　considerable；　as　he　felt　exercise　would　be　good　for　them　all。

Elizabeth　Eliza's　programme　then　arranged　that　the　dining…room　furniture　should　　be　moved　the　third　day；　by　which　time　one　of　the　old　parlor　carpets　would　be　　down　in　the　new　dining…room；　and　they　could　still　sleep　in　the　old　house。　Thus　　there　would　always　be　a　quiet；　comfortable　place　in　one　house　or　the　other。　Each　　night；　when　Mr。　Peterkin　came　home；　he　would　find　some　place　for　quiet　thought　　and　rest；　and　each　day　there　should　be　moved　only　the　furniture　needed　for　a　　certain　room。　Great　confusion　would　be　avoided　and　nothing　misplaced。　Elizabeth　　Eliza　wrote　these　last　words　at　the　head　of　her　programme；…〃　Misplace　nothing。〃

And　Agamemnon　made　a　copy　of　the　programme　for　each　member　of　the　family。

　THE　PETERKINS　ARE　MOVED。…Page　126。　The　first　thing　to　be　done　was　to　buy　the　parlor　carpets。　Elizabeth　Eliza　had　　already　looked　at　some　in　Boston；　and　the　next　morning　she　went；　by　an　early　　train；　with　her　father；　Agamemnon；　and　Solomon　John；　to　decide　upon　them。

　They　got　home　about　eleven　o'clock；　and　when　they　reached　the　house　were　　dismayed　to　find　two　furniture　wagons　in　front　of　the　gate；　already　partly　　filled　！　Mrs。　Peterkin　was　walking　in　and　out　of　the　open　door；　a　large　book　in　　one　hand；　and　a　duster　in　the　other；　and　she　came　to　meet　them　in　an　agony　of　　anxiety。　What　should　they　do？　The　furniture　carts　had　appeared　soon　after　the　　rest　had　left　for　Boston；　and　the　men　had　insisted　upon　beginning　to　move　the　　things。　In　vain　had　she　shown　Elizabeth　Eliza's　programme；　in　vain　had　she　　i