unk in vain. "I am afraid we must give it up," he
said; "it would be such a trouble in going from place to place."

"We would not mind if we got it to the place," said Elizabeth Eliza.

"But how to get it there?" Mr. Peterkin asked, with a sigh.

"This is our first obstacle," said Agamemnon; "we must do our best to
conquer it."

"What is an obstacle?" asked the little boys.

"It is the trunk," said Solomon John.

"Suppose we look out the word in the dictionary," said Agamemnon,
taking the large volume from the trunk. "Ah, here it is"--And he
read:--

"OBSTACLE, _an impediment_."

"That is a worse word than the other," said one of the little boys.

"But listen to this," and Agamemnon continued: "_Impediment_ is
something that entangles the feet; _obstacle_ something that stands in
the way; obstruction, something that blocks up the passage;
_hinderance_, something that holds back."

"The trunk is all these," said Mr. Peterkin, gloomily.

"It does not entangle the feet," said Solomon John, "for it can't
move."

"I wish it could," said the little boys together.

Mrs. Peterkin spent a day or two in taking the things out of the trunk
and putting them away.

"At least," she said, "this has given me some experience in packing."

And the little boys felt as if they had quite been a journey.

But the family did not like to give up their plan. It was suggested
that they might take the things out of the trunk, and pack it at the
station; the little boys could go and come with the things. But
Elizabeth Eliza thought the place too public.

Gradually the old contents of the great trunk went back again to it.

At length a friend unexpectedly offered to lend Mr. Peterkin a
good-sized family trunk. But it was late in the season, and so the
journey was put off from that summer.

But now the trunk was sent round to the house, and a family
consultation was held about packing it. Many things would have to be
left at home, it was so much smaller than the grandmother's
hair-trunk. But Agamemnon had been studying the atlas through the
winter, and felt familiar with the more important places, so it would
not be necessary to take it. And Mr. Peterkin decided to leave his
turning-lathe at home, and his tool-chest.

Again Mrs. Peterkin spent two days in accommodating the things. With
great care and discretion, and by borrowing two more leather bags, it
could be accomplished. Everything of importance could be packed except