eth Eliza thought the other boarders were afraid of the machine
going off; so an out-house was found for them, where Agamemnon and
Solomon John could arrange them.

Mrs. Peterkin was much pleased with the old-fashioned porch and
low-studded rooms, though the sleeping-rooms seemed a little stuffy at
first.

[Illustration]

Mr. Peterkin was delighted with the admirable order in which the farm
was evidently kept. From the first moment he arrived he gave himself
to examining the well-stocked stables and barns, and the fields and
vegetable gardens, which were shown to him by a highly intelligent
person, a Mr. Atwood, who devoted himself to explaining to Mr.
Peterkin all the details of methods in the farming.

The rest of the family were disturbed at being so far from the sea,
when they found it would take nearly all the afternoon to reach the
beach. The advertisements had surely stated that the "Old Farm" was
directly on the shore, and that sea-bathing would be exceedingly
convenient; which was hardly the case if it took you an hour and a
half to walk to it.

Mr. Peterkin declared there were always such discrepancies between the
advertisements of seaside places and the actual facts; but he was more
than satisfied with the farm part, and was glad to remain and admire
it, while the rest of the family went to find the beach, starting off
in a wagon large enough to accommodate them, Agamemnon driving the one
horse.

Solomon John had depended upon taking the photographs of the family in
a row on the beach; but he decided not to take his camera out the
first afternoon.

This was well, as the sun was already setting when they reached the
beach.

"If this wagon were not so shaky," said Mrs. Peterkin, "we might drive
over every morning for our bath. The road is very straight, and I
suppose Agamemnon can turn on the beach."

"We should have to spend the whole day about it," said Solomon John,
in a discouraged tone, "unless we can have a quicker horse."

"Perhaps we should prefer that," said Elizabeth Eliza, a little
gloomily, "to staying at the house."

She had been a little disturbed to find there were not more elegant
and fashionable-looking boarders at the farm, and she was disappointed
that the Sylvesters had not arrived, who would understand the ways of
the place. Yet, again, she was somewhat relieved, for if their trunks
did not come till the next day, as was feared, she should have nothing
but her travelling dre