the curious things
that it contained.

[4] These, it is sad to say, have now gone. Beyond a venerable raven,
the Tower has no live stock. To-day Thomas would describe the Zoo
instead.

The Disasters of Impatience

On the day that Mr. Daleham removed from his town residence to his new
house in the country there was much bustle and business in the family.
The servants were all employed in unpacking and arranging chairs, tables,
sofas, and sideboards in their proper places. Some men were putting up
beds, while others were hanging window-curtains and nailing down carpets.
The only idle persons in the house were Arnold and Isabel, and they could
find nothing to do but to skip from room to room, ask questions, admire
their new dwelling-house, and talk of the pleasure they should receive
in a visit their father was engaged to make that day to Mr. Morton, his
intimate friend, who lived about one mile and a half distant.

So desirous were Arnold and Isabel of seeing Morton Park, or rather
perhaps of eating some of the fine grapes and melons which they had
heard grew in Mr. Morton's hot-house, that the morning seemed to be the
length of the whole day. When people are without employment, time hangs
heavily on their hands, and minutes will appear to be as long as hours.
Half a dozen times in the course of the morning these children ran to
the door of the library, to ask their father when he would be ready to
go, and though he was engaged sorting papers and arranging his books,
they did not forbear their troublesome inquiries till he was quite
angry with them.

At length, however, the joyful tidings came to Arnold and Isabel that
they were to dress directly, as their father would be ready to set out
in half an hour. As the day was very fine, and the coachman's assistance
was useful to the other servants busied in disposing the furniture in
the various apartments, Mr. Daleham chose to walk to Morton Park; but
after he had dressed, and the half-hour had elapsed, he still had orders
to give that detained him.

Arnold and Isabel meanwhile were standing at the hall door, almost wild
with their impatience to be gone; and at last Arnold proposed to his
sister that they should go on first, as their papa could soon overtake
them; and Isabel eagerly ran to ask the housekeeper whether they must
take the right or the left-hand road. The housekeeper was busy with a
basket of china, some of which had been broken in the carriage; a