you might forget, I will write you a letter, and
papa shall take it to-morrow."

So that very afternoon, Peter took a large sheet of paper out of his
mother's writing-desk, and, pressing his sister Alice into his service,
dictated the following epistle:

"MY DEAR DARLING MAMMA,--I am very sorry you have gone away!
very sorry, indeed; so I am, certainly. I have just bumped my
head, and it hurts very much--not so very much, though--hardly
any. I wish you were here, and, besides, I want to see you very
much indeed. I want you to buy me a penknife. We have very
pleasant weather here, and I hope you have pleasant weather in
New York; I really _do_ hope so, that's a fact, certainly. I
'spect you will buy me a penknife and a pair of skates.

"I wish I could come to see you; but, unluckily, I am too
little, and, besides, I have no money, only but one penny; of
course that would not do, as I have not enough money to go to
and fro--of course not--I have only one penny.

"Have you money enough to buy my penknife? I have been a pretty
good boy, except sometimes, when I was cross--sometimes, last
night, when I wanted two pieces of cake; but I don't mean to be
cross again, not that I know of--may be. I hope you will bring
my penknife. I think that is long enough--of course it is.
Good-by, my dear mamma. I hope you will come back soon, and
bring my penknife the same day. Bring it in your pocket, shut
up, with a paper round it, and tied, and I am your affectionate
son,
"PETER."

"Shall I write a postscript?" said Alice.

"What's a postscript?" said Peter, with his head on one side.

"It is some thing very particular indeed, which ladies always put in
after the letter is finished."

"Oh, yes!" cried Peter, "I'm the boy for a postscript--certainly, of
course!"

"Well," said Alice, holding her pen over the paper.

"Well," repeated Peter, "Postscript, put _that_! Got that down?"

"Yes, all written beautifully!" answered Alice.

"Dear mamma, please _pertikerlary_ to bring me a penknife and--" oh,
Alice, "a pair of skates and a penknife!" and then the wonderful letter
was finished and sent the next morning; and let me tell you, Peter's
mother laughed over and enjoyed this letter more than she would have
done the finest complimentary epistle from the President of the United
States.

You may be sure that Peter got the penknife and