ight."

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!"

THE PETERKINS AT THE "CARNIVAL OF
AUTHORS" IN 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
"_garcon_," 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 enou