The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1874-07-11
Why the Peterkins Had Late Dinner.


Why the Peterkins Had Late Dinner.
The trouble was in the dumb waiter.
All had seated themselves at the dinner
table, and Amanda had gone to take out
the dinner she had sent up from the dumb
waiter. But something was the matter;
she could not pull it up. There was the
dinner, but she could not reach it. All
the family, in turn, went and tried; all
pulled together, in vain; the dinner could
not be stirred.
No dinner ~ exclaimed Agamemnon.
81 am quite hungry" said Solomon
John.
At last, Mr.. Peterkin said, 81 am not
proud. am willing to dine in the kitch
en-
This room was below the dining room.
All consented to this. Each one went
down, taking napkin.
The cook laid the kitchen table, put on
it her best table-cloth, and the family sat
for the dinner, but she could not move it
down.
The family were all in dismay. There
was the dinner, halfway between the
kitchea and dining room, and there they
were all hungry to eat it!
"What is there for dinner ?" asked Mr..
Peterkin.
Roast turkey" said Mrs. Peterkn.
Mr.. Peterkin lifted his eyes to the cell
ing.
squash, tomato, potato, and sweet
potato" Mrs. Peterkin continued.
"Sweet potato !" exclaimed all the little
boys.
81 am very glad now that did not have
cranberry" said Mrs. Peterkin, anxious to
find bright point.
"Let US sit down and think about it, :"
said Mr.. Peterkiu.
81 have an idea," said Agamemnon,
after awhile.
Let us hear it," said Mr.. Peterkin.
Let each one speak his mind"
"The turkey" said Agamemnon, "must
be just above the kitchen door. If bad
ladder and an axe, 1 could cut away the
plastering and reach it,
"That is a great idea," said Mrs. Peter
kin.
elf you think you could do it, said
Mr.. Petsrkin.
"Would it not be better to have car
penter ?' asked Elizabeth Eliza.
"a carpenter might have ladder and
an axe, and think we have neither" said
Mrs: Peterkin.
"a carpenter! A carpenter ~ exclaim-
ed the rest.
1t was decided that Mr.. Petelkin, Solo
mon John and the little boys should 60 in
search of carpenter.
Agamemnon proposed that, meanwhile,
he should 60 and borrow book; for he
had another idea.
"This affair of the turkey" he said,
"reminds me of those buried cities that
have been dug out, -Herculaneum, for in
stance"
"Oh, yes" interrupted Elizabeth Eliza,
"and Pompeii."
eyes," said Agamemnon, "they found
there pots and kettles. Now, l should like
to know how they did it; and l mean to
borrow book and read. l think it was
done with pick axe"
So the party set out But when Mr.
Peterkin reached the carpenters shop,
there was no carpenter to be found there.
"He must be at his house, eating his
dinner" suggested Solomon John.
"Happy man," exclaimed Mr.. Peterkin,
"he has dinner to eat ~
They went to the carpenters house, but
found he had gone out of town for a days
job. But his wife told them that he al
ways came back at night to ring the nine
o'clock bell.
"We must wait till them said Mr..
Peterkin, with an effort at cheerfulness.
At home, he found Agamemnon reading
his book, and all sat down to hear of Her.
culaneum and Pompeii.
Time passed on, and the question arose
about tea. Would it do to have tea, when
they had had no dinner: A part of the
family thought it would not do; the rest
wanted tea.
81 suppose you remember the wise lady
from 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.
az wish she were here" said Elizabeth
Eliza.
81 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