登陆注册
19501400000043

第43章 THE EDUCATIONAL BREAKFAST(4)

It was sunset; the view was wide and fine.Mr.and Mrs.Peterkin stood and looked out from the north to the south.Was it too late to send back for Elizabeth Eliza? Where was she?

Meanwhile the little boys had been informing the family of the object of their visit, and while Mr.and Mrs.Peterkin were looking up and down the road, and Agamemnon and Solomon John were explaining to each other the details of their journeys, they had discovered some facts.

"We shall have to go back," they exclaimed."We are too late! The maple-syrup was all made last spring.""We are too early; we shall have to stay two or three months, -the cider is not made till October."The expedition was a failure! They could study the making of neither maple-syrup nor cider, and Elizabeth Eliza was lost, perhaps forever! The sun went down, and Mr.and Mrs.Peterkin still stood to look up and down the road.

...........Elizabeth Eliza meanwhile, had sat upon her trunk, as it seemed for ages.She recalled all the terrible stories of prisoners,-how they had watched the growth of flowers through cracks in the pavement.She wondered how long she could live without eating.How thankful she was for her abundant breakfast!

At length she heard the door-bell.But who could go to the door to answer it? In vain did she make another effort to escape; it was impossible!

How singular!-there were footsteps.Some one was going to the door; some one had opened it."They must be burglars." Well, perhaps that was a better fate-to be gagged by burglars, and the neighbors informed-than to be forever locked on her trunk.The steps approached the door.It opened, and Amanda ushered in the expressman.

Amanda had not gone.She had gathered, while waiting at the breakfast-table, that there was to be an expressman whom she must receive.

Elizabeth Eliza explained the situation.The expressman turned the key of her trunk, and she was released!

What should she do next? So long a time had elapsed, she had given up all hope of her family returning for her.But how could she reach them?

She hastily prevailed upon the expressman to take her along until she should come up with some of the family.At least she would fall in with either the walking party or the carryall, or she would meet them if they were on their return.

She mounted the seat with the expressman, and slowly they took their way, stopping for occasional parcels as they left the village.

But much to Elizabeth Eliza's dismay, they turned off from the main road on leaving the village.She remonstrated, but the driver insisted he must go round by Millikin's to leave a bedstead.They went round by Millikin's, and then had further turns to make.

Elizabeth Eliza explained that in this way it would be impossible for her to find her parents and family, and at last he proposed to take her all the way with her trunk.She remembered with a shudder that when she had first asked about her trunk, he had promised it should certainly be delivered the next morning.

Suppose they should have to be out all night? Where did express-carts spend the night? She thought of herself in a lone wood, in an express-wagon! She could hardly bring herself to ask, before assenting, when he should arrive.

"He guessed he could bring up before night."And so it happened that as Mr.and Mrs.Peterkin in the late sunset were looking down the hill, wondering what they should do about the lost Elizabeth Eliza, they saw an express wagon approaching.

A female form sat upon the front seat.

"She has decided to come by express," said Mrs.Peterkin."It is-it is-Elizabeth Eliza!"1

BOSTON.THE Peterkins were in quite a muddle (for them) about the carnival of authors, to be given in Boston.As soon as it was announced, their interests were excited, and they determined that all the family should go.

But they conceived a wrong idea of the entertainment, as they supposed that every one must go in costume.Elizabeth Eliza thought their lessons in the foreign languages would help them much in conversing in character.

As the carnival was announced early Solomon John thought there would be time to read up everything written by all the authors, in order to be acquainted with the characters they introduced.Mrs.

Peterkin did not wish to begin too early upon the reading, for she was sure she should forget all that the different authors had written before the day came.

But Elizabeth Eliza declared that she should hardly have time enough, as it was, to be acquainted with all the authors.She had given up her French lessons, after taking six, for want of time, and had, indeed, concluded she had learned in them all she should need to know of that language.She could repeat one or two pages of phrases, and she was astonished to find how much she could understand already of what the French teacher said to her; and he assured her that when she went to Paris she could at least ask the price of gloves, or of some other things she would need, and he taught her, too, how to pronounce "gar?on," in calling for more.

Agamemnon thought that different members of the family might make themselves familiar with different authors; the little boys were already acquainted with "Mother Goose." Mr.Peterkin had read the "Pickwick Papers," and Solomon John had actually seen Mr.Longfellow getting into a horse-car.

Elizabeth Eliza suggested that they might ask the Turk to give lectures upon the "Arabian Nights." Everybody else was planning something of the sort, to "raise funds" for some purpose, and she was sure they ought not to be behindhand.Mrs.

Peterkin approved of this.It would be excellent if they could raise funds enough to pay for their own tickets to the carnival; then they could go every night.

Elizabeth Eliza was uncertain.She thought it was usual to use the funds for some object.Mr.Peterkin said that if they gained funds enough they might arrange a booth of their own, and sit in it, and take the carnival comfortably.

同类推荐
  • 平胡录

    平胡录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 法华文句记

    法华文句记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 達方鎮年表

    達方鎮年表

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • A Cumberland Vendetta

    A Cumberland Vendetta

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 知实篇

    知实篇

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 我的特种兵男神

    我的特种兵男神

    一个玉佩?一个人?改变了他的生活?还是靠他自己呢?
  • 《热血征途》

    《热血征途》

    时光荏苒,青春逝去。仅以此书来奠基我们年少时的轻狂、叛逆……
  • 传神

    传神

    这里是充满奇幻色彩的神母世界,有变幻莫测的魔法;有内藏乾坤的魂器;有无所不能的科技;还有许许多多鲜为人知的神秘。周福到只是一个小人物,娶妻生子将会是他一生最大的奋斗目标。然而,就在这一切变得触手可及的时候,上天却和他开了一个残酷的玩笑……
  • 尊皇本纪

    尊皇本纪

    谁言天命不可违,我自一剑斩之。何论人欺少年穷,我自一式破之。天地不容,轮回不纳,我自逍遥九霄。绝世血脉,惊天隐秘,抽丝剥茧,纵横四海,成就一代尊皇!一切尽在《尊皇本纪》
  • 第二次起搏:重展俄罗斯政治宏图

    第二次起搏:重展俄罗斯政治宏图

    本书比较全面和详细地介绍了俄罗斯政治格局的演变和发展。全文共分10章,分别介绍了自转型以来俄罗斯联邦制度的改革和调整,政党制度和主要政党的演变和发展,寡头与政权关系,普京政权的主要依靠力量,给俄罗斯国家与社会发展造成严重影响的车臣问题由来与发展,各种政治思潮的碰撞和主要政治人物的命运,以及对当前俄罗斯社会所存在的对原苏联怀旧心理的认识等。
  • 好好活着全集

    好好活着全集

    本书内容包括:好好活着是你的使命、好好活着是一种冷静的选择、是一种坚韧的生活状态以及好好活着,给心灵一个安逸的空间等。
  • 摄政王的妃子

    摄政王的妃子

    发誓一生守护的爱人,被迫嫁入皇宫。她一夜错乱强暴了他,造成了无法挽回的后果。江山与爱人之中,她选择了江山。美人如云皆以真心相待,她却害怕的不敢越越池一步。难道今生她注定只能与孤独相拥?执子之手,与子偕老的誓言,又将是谁与她一同完成。弱水三千,她却只取一瓢,常伴一生……
  • 江湖浪滔滔之相公不是人

    江湖浪滔滔之相公不是人

    江胡笑,别笑!这就是她的名字。直到死亡气息扑来,那段倾尽所有的爱情,换来却是粉身碎骨的下场。“妈,为什么给我取了这样一个名字!“江湖笑,双手叉腰,气急的她红晕上脸,今天是她第一天上小学,老师只是报了一声她的名字,全班哄堂大笑。人群中,隐约有个英气逼人的男生,在她最窘迫的瞬间,缓缓起身。”都给我闭嘴!“那是,他们第一次碰面!车站前,江胡笑浑身湿透,凌乱的头发散落在额头两边,她的手掌慢慢握拳,双肩开始颤抖,随着抖动加剧,突然,江胡笑下颚抬起,双眼布满血丝,冲向迎面而来的大货车。雨水倾盆而下,空中飘飘荡荡的回放一句话。”我,江胡笑,要你血债血偿。“
  • 异变之端

    异变之端

    为救家人,他以身涉险,入侵神秘游戏!为抱美女,他逆转乾坤,踏平异变世界!萧姚烈这个纨绔子,身背巨大的身世之谜,纵横游戏只为寻找到家人的蛛丝马迹!自古美人爱英雄,当他功成名就时,美女们一拥而上,公主、女侠、掌门……强悍女性一一登场,让萧姚烈再也逍遥不起来了……
  • 众神们的游戏

    众神们的游戏

    ‘神’在人们的眼中只是个传说,没人相信神也没人知道神是否存的,对于人类来说‘神’只是迷信,但‘神’是真真实实存在在这个世界上并跟人类一起生活在同一个地方。爱丽丝、克里斯,是刚升入圣斯顿学院的学生,但在他人眼中却是一对奇怪姐弟,而被冠上‘奇怪姐弟’称号的两人却跟学生会的人有着某种关系,他们与学生会的成员究竟是什么关系?为什么会对学院的冰山少年‘东寺浩翔’有着不同的态度?他们之间究竟有着怎样的秘密?