But here they were at last, at the "Old Farm," so called, where
seaside attractions had been praised in all the advertisements. And
here they were to meet the Sylvesters, who knew all about the
place, cousins of Ann Maria Bromwick. Elizabeth Eliza was
astonished not to find them there, though she had not expected
Ann Maria to join them till the very next day.
Their preparations had been so elaborate that at one time the
whole thing had seemed hopeless; yet here they all were. Their
trunks, to be sure, had not arrived; but the wagon was to be sent
back for them, and, wonderful to tell, they had all their
hand-baggage safe.
Agamemnon had brought his Portable Electrical Machine and
Apparatus, and the volumes of the Encyclop?dia that might tell
him how to manage it, and Solomon John had his photograph
camera. The little boys had used their india-rubber boots as
portmanteaux, filling them to the brim, and carrying one in each
hand,a very convenient way for travelling they considered it; but
they found on arriving (when they wanted to put their boots
directly on for exploration round the house), that it was somewhat
inconvenient to have to begin to unpack directly, and scarcely
room enough could be found for all the contents in the small
chamber allotted to them.
There was no room in the house for the electrical machine and
camera. Elizabeth Eliza thought the other boarders were afraid of
the machine going off; so an out-house was found for them, where
Agamemnon and Solomon John could arrange them.
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