t Philadelphia how much women had done, and
she felt they ought to contribute to such a cause. She had an idea, but
she would not speak of it at first, not until after she had written to
the lady from Philadelphia. She had often thought, in many cases, if
they had asked her advice first, they might have saved trouble.

Still, how could they ask advice before they themselves 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
Bromwich 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 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