Everybody started up, though no cloud was to be seen.
There was a great looking for umbrellas and water-proofs. Then it
appeared that Elizabeth Eliza had left hers, after all, though she
had gone back for it twice.
Mr. Peterkin knew he had not forgotten his umbrella, because he
had put the whole umbrella-stand into the wagon, and it had been
brought up the hill, but it proved to hold only the family canes!
There was a great cry for the "emergency basket," that had not
been opened yet.
Mrs. Peterkin explained how for days the family had been putting
into it what might be needed, as soon as anything was thought of.
Everybody stopped to see its contents. It was carefully covered
with newspapers. First came out a backgammon-board. "That
would be useful," said Ann Maria, "if we have to spend the
afternoon in anybody's barn." Next, a pair of andirons. "What were
they for?" "In case of needing a fire in the woods," explained
Solomon John. Then came a volume of the Encyclop?dia. But it
was the first volume, Agamemnon now regretted, and contained
only A and a part of B, and nothing about rain or showers. Next, a
bag of pea-nuts, put in by the little boys, and Elizabeth Eliza's
book of poetry, and a change of boots for Mr. Peterkin; a small
foot-rug in case the ground should be damp; some paint-boxes of
the little boys'; a box of fish-hooks for Solomon John; an
ink-bottle, carefully done up in a great deal of newspaper, which
was fortunate, as the ink was oozing out; some old magazines, and
a blacking-bottle; and at the bottom, a sun-dial.
Pages:
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96