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. But by this time Mrs. Peterkin was considering the
carters as natural enemies, and dared not trust them; besides, the
books ought all to be dusted. So she was now holding one of the volumes
of Agamemnon's Encyclopedia, with difficulty in one hand, while she was
dusting it with the other. Elizabeth Eliza was in dismay. At this
moment, four men were bringing down a large chest of drawers from her
father's room and they called to her to stand out of the way. The
parlors were a scene of confusion. In dusting the books, Mrs. Peterkin
neglected to restore them to the careful rows in which they were left
by the men, and they lay in hopeless masses in different parts of the
room. Elizabeth Eliza sunk in despair upon the end of a sofa.

"It would have been better to buy the red and blue carpet," said
Solomon John.

"Is not the carpet bought?" exclaimed Mrs. Peterkin. And then they were
obliged to confess they had been unable to decide upon one, and had
come back to consult Mrs. Peterkin.

"What shall we do?" asked Mrs. Peterkin.

Elizabeth Eliza rose from the sofa and went to the door, saying, "I
shall be back in a moment."

Agamemnon slowly passed round the room, collecting the scattered
volumes of his Encyclopedia. Mr. Peterkin offered a helping hand to a
man lifting a wardrobe.

Elizabeth Eliza soon returned. "I did not like to go and ask her. But I
felt that I must in such an emergency. I explained to her the whole
matter and she thinks we should take the carpet at Makillan's."

"Makillan's" was a store in the village, and the carpet was the only
one all the family had liked without any doubt; but they had supposed
they might prefer one from Boston.

The moment was a critical one. Solomon John was sent directly to
Makillan's to order the carpet to be put down that very day. But where
should they dine? where should they have their supper? where was Mr.
Peterkin's "quiet hour?" Elizabeth Eliza, was frantic--the dining-room
floor and table were covered with things.

It was decided that Mr. and Mrs. Peterkin should dine at t