The Frenchman was fluent about "_les moeurs Americaines_."
Elizabeth Eliza supposed he alluded to their not having set any table.
The Turk smiled; the Russian was voluble. In the midst of the clang of
the different languages, just as Mr. Peterkin was again repeating,
under cover of the noise of many tongues, "How shall we make them
understand that we want them to teach?"--at this very moment the door
was flung open, and there came in the lady from Philadelphia, that day
arrived, her first call of the season.

She started back in terror at the tumult of so many different
languages. The family, with joy, rushed to meet her. All together they
called upon her to explain for them. Could she help them? Could she
tell the foreigners they wanted to take lessons? Lessons? They had no
sooner uttered the word than their guests all started up with faces
beaming with joy. It was the one English word they all knew! They had
come to Boston to give lessons! The Russian traveller had hoped to
learn English in this way. The thought pleased them more than the
_dejeuner_. Yes, gladly would they give lessons. The Turk smiled at
the idea. The first step was taken. The teachers knew they were
expected to teach.

MODERN IMPROVEMENTS AT THE PETERKINS'.

Agamemnon felt that it became necessary for him to choose a
profession. It was important on account of the little boys. If he
should make a trial of several different professions he could find out
which would be the most likely to be successful, and it would then be
easy to bring up the little boys in the right direction.

Elizabeth Eliza agreed with this. She thought the family occasionally
made mistakes, and had come near disgracing themselves. Now was their
chance to avoid this in future by giving the little boys a proper
education.

Solomon John was almost determined to become a doctor. From earliest
childhood he had practised writing recipes on little slips of paper.
Mrs. Peterkin, to be sure, was afraid of infection. She could not bear
the idea of his bringing one disease after the other into the family
circle. Solomon John, too, did not like sick people. He thought he
might manage it if he should not have to see his patients while they
were sick. If he could only visit them when they were recovering, and
when the danger of infection was over, he would really enjoy making
calls.

[Illustration]

He should have a comfortable doctor's chaise, and take one of the
little boy