about it," said Mr. Peterkin.

"I have an idea," said Agamemnon, after a while.

"Let us hear it," said Mr. Peterkin. "Let each one speak his mind."

"The turkey," said Agamemnon, "must be just above the kitchen door. If
I had a ladder and an axe, I could cut away the plastering and reach
it."

"That is a great idea," said Mrs. Peterkin.

"If you think you could do it," said Mr. Peterkin.

"Would it not be better to have a carpenter?" asked Elizabeth Eliza.

"A carpenter might have a ladder and an axe, and I think we have
neither," said Mrs. Peterkin.

"A carpenter! A carpenter!" exclaimed the rest.

It was decided that Mr. Peterkin, Solomon John, and the little boys
should go in search of a carpenter.

Agamemnon proposed that, meanwhile, he should go and borrow a book,
for he had another idea.

"This affair of the turkey," he said, "reminds me of those buried
cities that have been dug out,--Herculaneum, for instance."

"Oh, yes," interrupted Elizabeth Eliza, "and Pompeii."

[Illustration]

"Yes," said Agamemnon. "They found there pots and kettles. Now, I
should like to know how they did it; and I mean to borrow a book and
read. I think it was done with a pickaxe."

So the party set out. But when Mr. Peterkin reached the carpenter's
shop there was no carpenter to be found there.

"He must be at his house, eating his dinner," suggested Solomon John.

"Happy man," exclaimed Mr. Peterkin, "he has a dinner to eat!"

They went to the carpenter's house, but found he had gone out of town
for a day's job. But his wife told them that he always came back at
night to ring the nine-o'clock bell.

"We must wait till then," said Mr. Peterkin, with an effort at
cheerfulness.

At home he found Agamemnon reading his book, and all sat down to hear
of Herculaneum and Pompeii.

Time passed on, and the question arose about tea. Would it do to have
tea when they had had no dinner? A part of the family thought it would
not do; the rest wanted tea.

"I suppose you remember the wise lady of Philadelphia, who was here
not long ago?" said Mr. Peterkin.

"Oh, yes," said Mrs. Peterkin.

"Let us try to think what she would advise us," said Mr. Peterkin.

"I wish she were here," said Elizabeth Eliza.

"I think," said Mr. Peterkin, "she would say, let them that want tea
have it; the rest can go without."

So they had tea, and, as it proved, all sat down to it. But not much
was eaten, as there had been no dinner.

W