d now every thing was made in the way of "anti-tear-clothes," as
the children called them, and the express wagon was sent for on the
afternoon of the 19th of June to carry the baggage down to the
steamboat.

The express man stared with amazement at the quantity of children
whisking and frisking, and rushing and brushing about in the hall;
and, still more, at the trunks, boxes, and bundles, that were brought
clattering and tumbling down the stairs for him to take away.

Just before he was leaving with the last bundle, little Johnny rushed
breathless down the stairs with what looked like a horse's tail, only
shorter and smaller, in one hand, and an old tin-box that had once
contained preserved tomatoes in the other, and screamed out,
"Here!--say! man, man! take this! here, take it! It's mamma's hair!
she's forgotten to sew it on her head! here, pack it up in this
tin-box, and tie it with a rope, and put it on board the
steamboat--will you?"

Dear me! how the poor express man did bite his lips and swell his
cheeks, and turn very red, and try not to laugh: but it _would_ come
out, and he laughed himself nearly into fits, while the little mother
felt for a moment as if she could have shaken _Johnny_ into fits, but
only for a moment; for, after all, what was the use of being angry: he
_meant_ to be so useful and thoughtful, and if her hair was so thin,
she had to buy some to put with it--why, it was nothing to be ashamed
of; so she laughed, too, at last, and all the children joined in with
such good-will, that the canary bird over the way hearing such a
pleasant noise, set up his pipes and twittered in company, and sang so
shrill and loud, that all his feathers stood out on end; and, on the
whole, it was thought a very good joke.

And now a great hotel carriage, which is about three times as large as
any other, drove up, and the children were packed in it, till it was
as full as an egg; and they gave three cheers, as it started, to the
astonishment of all the neighbors, and sang "John Brown had a little
Indian" all the way down to the boat.

There had been so many berths engaged for one name, that the Captain
thought there must be a colony going out west to set up a town for
themselves. But when he saw the family marching down the gang-plank
two-and-two, like the animals that went into the ark, from the biggest
to the smallest, he lifted up his hands and exclaimed, "Dew tell! what
an orful lot of children! I shud think