ne mind in the world can't cope with the
peculiar class of questions that originate in a thirteen-year boy's
brain.

As a result of their seafaring interest, the doctor conceived the idea
of inviting seven of the oldest and most alert lads to spend the day
with him in New York and see with their own eyes an oceanliner. They
rose at five yesterday morning, caught the 7:30 train, and had the most
wonderful adventure that has happened in all their seven lives. They
visited one of the big liners (Sandy knows the Scotch engineer),
and were conducted from the bottom of the hold to the top of the
crow's-nest, and then had luncheon on board. And after luncheon they
visited the aquarium and the top of the Singer Building, and took
the subway uptown to spend an hour with the birds of America in their
habitats. Sandy with great difficulty pried them away from the
Natural History Museum in time to catch the 6:15 train. Dinner in the
dining-car. They inquired with great particularity how much it was
costing, and when they heard that it was the same, no matter how much
you ate, they drew deep breaths and settled quietly and steadily to the
task of not allowing their host to be cheated. The railroad made nothing
on that party, and all the tables around stopped eating to stare. One
traveler asked the doctor if it was a boarding school he had in charge;
so you can see how the manners and bearing of our lads have picked up.
I don't wish to boast, but no one would ever have asked such a question
concerning seven of Mrs. Lippett's youngsters. "Are they bound for a
reformatory?" would have been the natural question after observing the
table manners of her offspring.

My little band tumbled in toward ten o'clock, excitedly babbling a
mess of statistics about reciprocating compound engines and watertight
bulkheads, devil-fish and sky-scrapers and birds of paradise. I thought
I should never get them to bed. And, oh, but they had had a glorious
day! I do wish I could manage breaks in the routine oftener. It gives
them a new outlook on life and makes them more like normal children.
Wasn't it really nice of Sandy? But you should have seen that man's
behavior when I tried to thank him. He waved me aside in the middle of
a sentence, and growlingly asked Miss Snaith if she couldn't economize a
little on carbolic acid. The house smelt like a hospital.

I must tell you that Punch is back with us again, entirely renovated as
to manners. I am looking