knew what they
wanted?

It was very easy to ask advice, but you must first know what to ask
about. And again: Elizabeth Eliza felt you might have ideas, but
you could not always put them together. There was this idea of the
water-trough, and then this idea of getting some money for it. So
she began with writing to the lady from Philadelphia. The little boys
believed she spent enough for it in postage-stamps before it all came
out.

But it did come out at last that the Peterkins were to have
some charades at their own house for the benefit of the needed
water-trough,--tickets sold only to especial friends. Ann Maria Bromwick
was to help act, because she could bring some old bonnets and gowns that
had been worn by an aged aunt years ago, and which they had always kept.
Elizabeth Eliza said that Solomon John would have to be a Turk, and they
must borrow all the red things and cashmere scarfs in the place. She
knew people would be willing to lend things.

Agamemnon thought you ought to get in something about the Hindoos, they
were such an odd people. Elizabeth Eliza said you must not have it too
odd, or people would not understand it, and she did not want anything to
frighten her mother.

She had one word suggested by the lady from Philadelphia in her
letters,--the one that had "Turk" in it,--but they ought to have two words
"Oh, yes," Ann Maria said, "you must have two words; if the people paid
for their tickets they would want to get their money's worth."

Solomon John thought you might have "Hindoos"; the little boys could
color their faces brown, to look like Hindoos. You could have the first
scene an Irishman catching a hen, and then paying the water-taxes for
"dues," and then have the little boys for Hindoos.

A great many other words were talked of, but nothing seemed to suit.
There was a curtain, too, to be thought of, because the folding-doors
stuck when you tried to open and shut them. Agamemnon said that the
Pan-Elocutionists had a curtain they would probably lend John Osborne,
and so it was decided to ask John Osborne to help.

If they had a curtain they ought to have a stage. Solomon John said he
was sure he had boards and nails enough, and it would be easy to make a
stage if John Osborne would help put it up.

All this talk was the day before the charades. In the midst of it Ann
Maria went over for her old bonnets and dresses and umbrellas, and they
spent the evening in trying on the various things,