e the teachers, and that would show
that they meant lessons, and not lunch.

Mrs. Peterkin was not sure but she ought to prepare a lunch for them,
if they had come all that way; but she certainly did not know what
they were accustomed to eat.

Mr. Peterkin thought this would be a good thing to learn of the
foreigners. It would be a good preparation for going abroad, and they
might get used to the dishes before starting. The little boys were
delighted at the idea of having new things cooked. Agamemnon had heard
that beer-soup was a favorite dish with the Germans, and he would
inquire how it was made in the first lesson. Solomon John had heard
they were all very fond of garlic, and thought it would be a pretty
attention to have some in the house the first day, that they might be
cheered by the odor.

Elizabeth Eliza wanted to surprise the lady from Philadelphia by her
knowledge of French, and hoped to begin on her lessons before the
Philadelphia family arrived for their annual visit.

There were still some delays. Mr. Peterkin was very anxious to obtain
teachers who had been but a short time in this country. He did not
want to be tempted to talk any English with them. He wanted the latest
and freshest languages, and at last came home one day with a list of
"brand-new foreigners."

They decided to borrow the Bromwicks' carryall to use, beside their
own, for the first day, and Mr. Peterkin and Agamemnon drove into town
to bring all the teachers out. One was a Russian gentleman,
travelling, who came with no idea of giving lessons, but perhaps he
would consent to do so. He could not yet speak English.

Mr. Peterkin had his card-case, and the cards of the several gentlemen
who had recommended the different teachers, and he went with Agamemnon
from hotel to hotel collecting them. He found them all very polite,
and ready to come, after the explanation by signs agreed upon. The
dictionaries had been forgotten, but Agamemnon had a directory, which
looked the same, and seemed to satisfy the foreigners.

Mr. Peterkin was obliged to content himself with the Russian instead
of one who could teach Sanscrit, as there was no new teacher of that
language lately arrived.

[Illustration]

But there was an unexpected difficulty in getting the Russian
gentleman into the same carriage with the teacher of Arabic, for he
was a Turk, sitting with a fez on his head, on the back seat! They
glared at each other, and began to assail each