All this talk was the day before the charades. In the midst of it Ann
Maria went over for her old bonnets and dresses and umbrellas,
and they spent the evening in trying on the various things,such
odd caps and remarkable bonnets ! Solomon John said they ought
to have plenty of bandboxes; if you only had bandboxes enough a
charade was sure to go off well; he had seen charades in Boston.
Mrs.
Peterkin said there were plenty in their attic, and the little boys
brought down piles of them, and the back parlor was filled with
costumes.
Ann Maria said she could bring over more things if she only knew
what they were going to act. Elizabeth Eliza told her to bring
anything she had,it would all come of use.
The morning came, and the boards were collected for the stage.
Agamemnon and Solomon John gave themselves to the work, and
John Osborne helped zealously. He said the Pan-Elocutionists
would lend a scene also. There was a great clatter of bandboxes,
and piles of shawls in corners, and such a piece of work in getting
up the curtain! In the midst of it came in the little boys, shouting,
"All the tickets are sold, at ten cents each !"
"Seventy tickets sold!" exclaimed Agamemnon.
"Seven dollars for the water-trough!" said Elizabeth Eliza.
"And we do not know yet what we are going to act!" exclaimed
Ann Maria.
But everybody's attention had to be given to the scene that was
going up in the background, borrowed from the Pan-Elocutionists.
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