They got home about eleven o'clock, and when they reached the
house were dismayed to find two furniture wagons in front of the
gate, already partly filled ! Mrs. Peterkin was walking in and out
of the open door, a large book in one hand, and a duster in the
other, and she came to meet them in an agony of anxiety. What
should they do? The furniture carts had appeared soon after the
rest had left for Boston, and the men had insisted upon beginning
to move the things. In vain had she shown Elizabeth Eliza's
programme; in vain had she insisted they must take only the
parlor furniture. They had declared they must put the heavy pieces
in the bottom of the cart, and the lighter furniture on top. So she
had seen them go into every room in the house, and select one
piece of furniture after another, without even looking at Elizabeth
Eliza's programme; she doubted if they could have read it if they
had looked at it.
Mr. Peterkin had ordered the carters to come; but he had no idea
they would come so early, and supposed it would take them a long
time to fill the carts.
But they had taken the dining-room sideboard first,a heavy piece
of furniture,and all its contents were now on the dining-room
tables. Then, indeed, they selected the parlor book-case, but had
set every book on the floor The men had told Mrs. Peterkin they
would put the books in the bottom of the cart, very much in the
order they were taken from the shelves.
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