"I suppose you remember the wise lady of Philadelphia, who was
here not long ago," said Mr. Peterkin.
"Oh, yes," said Mrs. Peterkin.
"Let us try to think what she would advise us," said Mr. Peterkin.
"I wish she were here," said Elizabeth Eliza.
"I think," said Mr. Peterkin, "she would say, let them that want tea
have it; the rest can go without."
So they had tea, and, as it proved, all sat down to it. But not much
was eaten, as there had been no dinner.
When the nine-o'clock bell was heard, Agamemnon, Solomon
John, and the little boys rushed to the church, and found the
carpenter.
They asked him to bring a ladder, axes and pickaxe. As he felt it
might be a case of fire, he brought also his fire-buckets.
When the matter was explained to him, he went into the
dining-room, looked into the dumb-waiter, untwisted a cord, and
arranged the weight, and pulled up the dinner.
There was a family shout.
"The trouble was in the weight," said the carpenter.
"That is why it is called a dumb-waiter," Solomon John explained
to the little boys.
The dinner was put upon the table.
Mrs. Peterkin frugally suggested that they might now keep it for
the next day, as to-day was almost gone, and they had had tea.
But nobody listened. All sat down to the roast turkey; and Amanda
warmed over the vegetables.
"Patient waiters are no losers," said Agamemnon.
THE PETERKINS' SUMMER JOURNEY.
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