the peterkin papers-第18章

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site　barn。　He　　was　waiting　for　the　keys；　which　Solomon　John　had　taken　back　with　him。　The　little　　boys　were　in　a　horse…chestnut　tree；　at　the　side　of　the　house。

　Agamemnon　opened　the　door。　The　passages　were　crowded　with　furniture；　the　floors　　were　strewn　with　books；　the　bureau　was　upstairs　that　was　to　stand　in　a　lower　　bedroom；　there　was　not　a　place　to　lay　a　table；…there　was　nothing　to　lay　upon　it；　　for　the　knives　and　plates　and　spoons　had　not　come；　and　although　the　tables　were　　there　they　were　covered　with　chairs　and　boxes。

At　this　moment　came　a　covered　basket　from　the　lady　from　Philadelphia。　It　　contained　a　choice　supper；　and　forks　and　spoons；　and　at　the　same　moment　appeared　　a　pot　of　hot　tea　from　an　opposite　neighbor。　They　placed　all　this　on　the　back　of　　a　bookcase　lying　upset；　and　sat　around　it。　Solomon　John　came　rushing　in　from　the　　gate。

〃The　last　load　is　coming！　We　are　all　moved！〃　he　exclaimed；　and　the　little　boys　　joined　in　a　chorus；　〃We　are　moved！　we　are　moved！〃

Mrs。　Peterkin　looked　sadly　round；　the　kitchen　utensils　were　lying　on　the　parlor　　lounge；　and　an　old　family　gun　on　Elizabeth　Eliza's　hat…box。　The　parlor　clock　　stood　on　a　barrel；　some　coal…scuttles　had　been　placed　on　the　parlor　table；　a　　bust　of　Washington　stood　in　the　door…way；　and　the　looking…glasses　leaned　against　　the　pillars　of　the　piazza。　But　they　were　moved！　Mrs。　Peterkin　felt；　indeed；　that　　they　were　very　much　moved。

　THE　PETERKINS　DECIDE　TO　LEARN　THE　LANGUAGES。　　CERTAINLY　now　was　the　time　to　study　the　languages。　The　Peterkins　had　moved　into　　a　new　house；　far　more　convenient　than　their　old　one；　where　they　would　have　a　　place　for　everything　and　everything　in　its　place。　Of　course　they　would　then　have　　more　time。

Elizabeth　Eliza　recalled　the　troubles　of　the　old　house；　how　for　a　long　time　she　　was　obliged　to　sit　outside　of　the　window　upon　the　piazza；　when　she　wanted　to　　play　on　her　piano。

Mrs。　Peterkin　reminded　them　of　the　difficulty　about　the　table…cloths。　The　upper　　table…cloth　was　kept　in　a　trunk　that　had　to　stand　in　front　of　the　door　to　the　　closet　under　the　stairs。　But　the　under　table…cloth　was　kept　in　a　drawer　in　the　　closet。　So；　whenever　the　cloths　were　changed；　the　trunk　had　to　be　pushed　away　　under　some　projecting　shelves　to　make　room　for　opening　the　closet…door　（as　the　　under　table…cloth　must　be　taken　out　first）；　then　the　trunk　was　pushed　back　to　　make　room　for　it　to　be　opened　for　the　upper　table…cloth；　and；　after　all；　it　was　　necessary　to　push　the　trunk　away　again　to　open　the　closet…door　for　the　　knife…tray。　This　always　consumed　a　great　deal　of　time。

Now　that　the　china…closet　was　large　enough；　everything　could　find　a　place　in　it。

　Agamemnon　especially　enjoyed　the　new　library。　In　the　old　house　there　was　no　　separate　room　for　books。　The　dictionaries　were　kept　upstairs；　which　was　very　　inconvenient；　and　the　volumes　of　the　Encyclop？dia　could　not　be　together。　There　　was　not　room　for　all　in　one　place。　So　from　A　to　P　were　to　be　found　downstairs；　　and　from　Q　to　Z　were　scattered　in　different　rooms　upstairs。　And　the　worst　of　it　　was；　you　could　never　remember　whether　from　A　to　P　included　P。　〃I　always　went　　upstairs　after　P；〃　said　Agamemnon；　〃and　then　always　found　it　downstairs；　or　else　　it　was　the　other　way。〃

Of　course　now　there　were　more　conveniences　for　study。　With　the　books　all　in　one　　room；　there　would　be　no　time　wasted　in　looking　for　them。

Mr。　Peterkin　suggested　they　should　each　take　a　separate　language。　If　they　went　　abroad；　this　would　prove　a　great　convenience。　Elizabeth　Eliza　could　talk　French　　with　the　Parisians；　Agamemnon；　German　with　the　Germans；　Solomon　John；　Italian　　with　the　Italians；　Mrs。　Peterkin；　Spanish　in　Spain；　and　perhaps　he　could　himself　　master　all　the　Eastern　Languages　and　Russian。

Mrs。　Peterkin　was　uncertain　about　undertaking　the　Spanish；　but　all　the　family　　felt　very　sure　they　should　not　go　to　Spain　（as　Elizabeth　Eliza　dreaded　the　　Inquisition）；　and　Mrs。　Peterkin　felt　more　willing。

Still　she　had　quite　an　objection　to　going　abroad。　She　had　always　said　she　would　　not　go　till　a　bridge　was　made　across　the　Atlantic；　and　she　was　sure　it　did　not　　look　like　it　now。

Agamemnon　said　there　was　no　knowing。　There　was　something　new　every　day；　and　a　　bridge　was　surely　not　harder　to　invent　than　a　telephone；　for　they　had　bridges　in　　the　very　earliest　days。

Then　came　up　the　question　of　the　teachers。　Probably　these　could　be　found　in　　Boston。　If　they　could　all　come　the　same　day；　three　could　be　brought　out　in　the　　carryall。　Agamemnon　could　go　in　for　them；　and　could　learn　a　little　on　the　way　　out　and　in。

Mr。　Peterkin　made　some　inquiries　about　the　Oriental　languages。　He　was　told　that　　Sanscrit　was　at　the　root　of　all。　So　he　proposed　they　should　all　begin　with　　Sanscrit。　They　would　thus　require　but　one　teacher；　and　could　branch　out　into　the　　other　languages　afterward。

But　the　family　preferred　learning　the　separate　languages。　Elizabeth　Eliza　　already　knew　something　of　the　French。　She　had　tried　to　talk　it；　without　much　　success；　at　the　Centennial　Exhibition；　at　one　of　the　side…stands。　But　she　found　　she　had　been　talking　with　a　Moorish　gentleman　who　did　not　understand　French。　Mr。

Peterkin　feared　they　might　need　more　libraries；　if　all　the　teachers　came　at　the　　same　hour；　but　Agamemnon　reminded　him　that　they　would　be　using　different　　dictionaries。　And　Mr。　Peterkin　thought　something　might　be　learned　by　having　them　　all　at　once。　Each　one　might　pick　up　something　beside　the　language　he　was　　studying；　and　it　was　a　great　thing　to　learn　to　talk　a　foreign　language　while　　others　were　talking　about　you。　Mrs。　Peterkin　was　afraid　it　would　be　like　the　　Tower　of　Babel；　and　hoped　it　was　all　right。

Agamemnon　brought　forward　another　difficulty。　Of　course　they　ought　to　have　　foreign　teachers；　who　spoke　only　their　native　languages。　But；　in　this　case；　how　　could　they　engage　them　to　come；　or　explain　to　them　about　the　carryall；　or　　arrange　the　proposed　hours？　He　did　not　understand　how　anybody　ever　began　with　a　　foreigner；　because　he　could　not　even　tell　him　what　he　wanted。

Elizabeth　Eliza　thought　a　great　deal　might　be　done　by　signs　and　pantomime。

Solomon　John　and　the　little　boys　began　to　show　how　it　might　be　done。　Elizabeth　　Eliza　explained　how　〃langues　〃　meant　both　〃languages〃　and　〃tongues；〃　and　they　　could　point　to　their　tongues。　For　practice；　the　little　boys　represented　the　　foreign　teachers　talking　in　their　different　languages；　and　Agamemnon　and　Solomon　　John　went　to　invite　them　to　come　out；　and　teach　the　family　by　a　series　of　signs。

　Mr。　Peterkin　thought　their　success　was　admirable；　and　that　they　might　almost　go　　abroad　without　any　study　of　the　languages；　and　trust　to　explaining　themselves　by　　signs。　Still；　as　the　bridge　was　not　yet　made；　it　might　be　as　well　to　wait　and　　cultivate　the　languages。

Mrs。　Peterkin　was　afraid　the　foreign　teachers　might　imagine　they　were　invited　　out　to　lunch。　Solomon　John　had　constantly　pointed　to　his　mouth　as　he　opened　it　　and　shut　it；　putting　out　his　tongue；　and　it　looked　a　great　deal　more　as　if　he　　were　inviting　them　to　eat；　than　asking　them　to　teach。　Agamemnon　suggested　that　　they　might　carry　the　separate　dictionaries　when　they　went　to　see　the　teachers；　　and　that　would　show　that　they　meant　lessons；　and　not　lunch。

Mrs。　Peterkin　was　not　sure　but　she　ought　to　prepare　a　lunch　for　them；　if　they　　had　come　all　that　way；　but　she　certainly　did　not　know　what　they　were　accustomed　　to　eat。

Mr。　Peterkin　thought　this　would　be　a　good　thing　to　learn　of　the　foreigners。　It　　would　be　a　good　preparation　for　going　abroad；　and　they　might　get　used　to　the　　dishes　before　starting。　The　little　boys　were　delighted　at　the　idea　of　having　new　　things　cooked。　Agamemnon　had　heard　that　beer…soup　was　a　favorite　dish　with　the　　Germans；　and　he　would　inquire　how　it　was　made　in　the　first　lesson。　Solomon　John　　had　heard　they　were　all　very　fond　of　garlic；　and　thought　it　would　be　a　pretty　　attention　to　have　some　in　the　house　the　first　day；　that　they　might　be　cheered　by　　the　odor。

Elizabeth　Eliza　wanted　to　surprise　the　lady　from　Philadelphia　by　her　knowledge　　of　French；　and　hoped　to　begin　on　her　lessons　before　the　Philadelphia　family　　arrived　for　their　annual　visit。

There　were　still　some　delays。　Mr。　Peterkin　was　very　anx