The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Peterkin Papers, by Lucretia P. Hale

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Title: The Peterkin Papers

Author: Lucretia P. Hale

Release Date: October, 2001 [Etext #3028]
Posting Date: October 27, 2009

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE PETERKIN PAPERS ***

Produced by David Reed

THE PETERKIN PAPERS

By Lucretia P. Hale

Mrs. Peterkin Puts Salt into Her Coffee.

Dedicated

To Meggie (The Daughter of The Lady From Philadelphia)

To Whom These Stories Were First Told

Preface to The Second Edition of The Peterkin Papers

THE first of these stories was accepted by Mr. Howard M. Ticknor for
the "Young Folks." They were afterwards continued in numbers of the "St.
Nicholas."

A second edition is now printed, containing a new paper, which has never
before been published, "The Peterkins at the Farm."

It may be remembered that the Peterkins originally hesitated about
publishing their Family Papers, and were decided by referring the matter
to the lady from Philadelphia. A little uncertain of whether she might
happen to be at Philadelphia, they determined to write and ask her.

Solomon John suggested a postal-card. Everybody reads a postal, and
everybody would read it as it came along, and see its importance, and
help it on. If the lady from Philadelphia were away, her family and all
her servants would read it, and send it after her, for answer.

Elizabeth Eliza thought the postal a bright idea. It would not take so
long to write as a letter, and would not be so expensive. But could they
get the whole subject on a postal?

Mr. Peterkin believed there could be no difficulty, there was but one
question:--

Shall the adventures of the Peterkin family be published?

This was decided upon, and there was room for each of the family to
sign, the little boys contenting themselves with rough sketches of their
india-rubber boots.

Mr. Peterkin, Agamemnon, and Solomon John took the postal-card to the
post-office early one morning, and by the afternoon of that very day,
and all the next day, and for many days, came streaming in answers on
postals and on letters. Their card had bee