wounded to answer. It was a great
while before Mrs. Peterkin ventured to move.

But the little boys soon shouted with joy, and cheered the success of
Solomon John's fireworks, and hoped he had some more. One of them had
his face blackened by an unexpected cracker, and Elizabeth Eliza's
muslin dress was burned here and there. But no one was hurt; no one had
lost any limbs, though Mrs. Peterkin was sure she had seen some flying
in the air. Nobody could understand how, as she had kept her eyes firmly
shut.

No greater accident had occurred than the singeing of the tip of Solomon
John's nose. But there was an unpleasant and terrible odor from the
"fulminating paste."

Mrs. Peterkin was extricated from the lilac-bush. No one knew how she
got there.

Indeed, the thundering noise had stunned everybody. It had roused the
neighborhood even more than before. Answering explosions came on every
side, and, though the sunset light had not faded away, the little boys
hastened to send off rockets under cover of the confusion. Solomon
John's other fireworks would not go. But all felt he had done enough.

Mrs. Peterkin retreated into the parlor, deciding she really did have a
headache. At times she had to come out when a rocket went off, to see
if it was one of the little boys. She was exhausted by the adventures of
the day, and almost thought it could not have been worse if the boys
had been allowed gunpowder. The distracted lady was thankful there was
likely to be but one Centennial Fourth in her lifetime, and declared she
should never more keep anything in the house as dangerous as saltpetred
beef, and she should never venture to take another spoonful of potash.

THE PETERKINS' PICNIC.

THERE was some doubt about the weather. Solomon John looked at the
"Probabilities;" there were to be "areas" of rain in the New England
States.

Agamemnon thought if they could only know where the areas of rain were
to be they might go to the others. Mr. Peterkin proposed walking round
the house in a procession, to examine the sky. As they returned they
met Ann Maria Bromwick, who was to go, much surprised not to find them
ready.

Mr. and Mrs. Peterkin were to go in the carryall, and take up the lady
from Philadelphia, and Ann Maria, with the rest, was to follow in a
wagon, and to stop for the daughters of the lady from Philadelphia. The
wagon arrived, and so Mr. Peterkin had the horse put into the carryall.

A basket had been kept