the peterkin papers-第19部分

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〃You　need　not　send　for　more　help；〃　he　said；　〃we　have　all　the　engines　in　town　　here；　and　have　stirred　up　all　the　towns　in　the　neighborhood；　there's　no　use　in　　springing　any　more　alarms。　I　can't　find　the　fire　yet；　but　we　have　water　pouring　　all　over　the　house。〃

Elizabeth　Eliza　waved　her　telegram　in　the　air。

〃We　are　only　trying　to　send　a　telegram　to　my　father　and　brother；　who　are　in　　town；〃　she　endeavored　to　explain。

〃If　it　is　necessary；〃　said　the　chief　engineer；　〃you　might　send　it　down　in　one　of　　the　hackney　carriages。　I　see　a　number　standing　before　the　door。　We'd　better　　begin　to　move　the　heavier　furniture；　and　some　of　you　women　might　fill　the　　carriages　with　smaller　things。〃

Mrs。　Peterkin　was　ready　to　fall　into　hysterics。　She　controlled　herself　with　a　　supreme　power；　and　hastened　to　touch　another　knob。

　Elizabeth　Eliza　corrected　her　telegram；　and　decided　to　take　the　advice　of　the　　chief　engineer　and　went　to　the　door　to　give　her　message　to　one　of　the　hackmen；　　when　she　saw　a　telegraph　boy　appear。　Her　mother　had　touched　the　right　knob。　It　　was　the　fourth　from　the　beginning；　but　the　beginning　was　at　the　other　end！

She　went　out　to　meet　the　boy；　when；　to　her　joy；　she　saw　behind　him　her　father　　and　Agamemnon。　She　clutched　her　telegram；　and　hurried　toward　them。

Mr。　Peterkin　was　bewildered。　Was　the　house　on　fire？　If　so；　where　were　the　　flames？

He　saw　the　row　of　carriages。　Was　there　a　funeral；　or　a　wedding？　Who　was　dead？

Who　was　to　be　married？

He　seized　the　telegram　that　Elizabeth　Eliza　reached　to　him；　and　read　it　aloud。

〃Come　to　us　directly…the　house　is　NOT　on　fire！〃

The　chief　engineer　was　standing　on　the　steps。

〃The　house　not　on　fire！〃　he　exclaimed。　〃What　are　we　all　summoned　for？〃

〃It　is　a　mistake；〃　cried　Elizabeth　Eliza；　wringing　her　hands。　〃We　touched　the　　wrong　knob；　we　wanted　the　telegraph　boy！　〃

〃We　touched　all　the　wrong　knobs；〃　exclaimed　Mrs。　Peterkin；　from　the　house。

The　chief　engineer　turned　directly　to　give　counter…directions；　with　a　few　　exclamations　of　disgust；　as　the　bells　of　distant　fire…engines　were　heard　　approaching。

Solomon　John　appeared　at　this　moment；　and　proposed　taking　one　of　the　carriages；　　and　going　for　a　doctor　for　his　mother；　for　she　was　now　nearly　ready　to　fall　into　　hysterics；　and　Agamemnon　thought　to　send　a　telegram　down　by　the　boy；　for　the　　evening　papers；　to　announce　that　the　Peterkins'　house　had　not　been　on　fire。

The　crisis　of　the　commotion　had　reached　its　height。　The　beds　of　flowers；　　bordered　with　dark…colored　leaves；　were　trodden　down　by　the　feet　of　the　crowd　　that　had　assembled。

The　chief　engineer　grew　more　and　more　indignant；　as　he　sent　his　men　to　order　　back　the　fire…engines　from　the　neighboring　towns。　The　collection　of　boys　　followed　the　procession　as　it　went　away。　The　fire…brigade　hastily　removed　covers　　from　some　of　the　furniture；　restored　the　rest　to　their　places；　and　took　away　　their　ladders。　Many　neighbors　remained；　but　Mr。　Peterkin　hastened　into　the　house　　to　attend　to　Mrs。　Peterkin。

Elizabeth　Eliza　took　an　opportunity　to　question　her　father；　before　he　went　in；　　as　to　the　success　of　their　visit　to　town。

〃We　saw　all　the　patent…agents；〃　answered　Mr。　Peterkin；　in　a　hollow　whisper。　〃Not　　one　of　them　will　touch　the　patent；　or　have　anything　to　do　with　it。〃

Elizabeth　Eliza　looked　at　Agamemnon；　as　he　walked　silently　into　the　house。　She　　would　not　now　speak　to　him　of　the　patent；　but　she　recalled　some　words　of　Solomon　　John。　When　they　were　discussing　the　patent　he　had　said　that　many　an　inventor　had　　grown　gray　before　his　discovery　was　acknowledged　by　the　public。　Others　might　　reap　the　harvest；　but　it　came；　perhaps；　only　when　he　was　going　to　his　grave。

Elizabeth　Eliza　looked　at　Agamemnon　reverently；　and　followed　him　silently　into　　the　house。

　AGAMEMNON'S　CAREER。　　THERE　had　apparently　been　some　mistake　in　Agamemnon's　education。　He　had　been　to　　a　number　of　colleges；　indeed；　but　he　had　never　completed　his　course　in　any　one。

He　had　continually　fallen　into　some　difficulty　with　the　authorities。　It　was　　singular；　for　he　was　of　an　inquiring　mind；　and　had　always　tried　to　find　out　what　　would　be　expected　of　him；　but　had　never　hit　upon　the　right　thing。

Solomon　John　thought　the　trouble　might　be　in　what　they　called　the　elective　　system；　where　you　were　to　choose　what　study　you　might　take。　This　had　always　　bewildered　Agamemnon　a　good　deal。

〃And　how　was　a　feller　to　tell；〃　Solomon　John　had　asked；　〃whether　he　wanted　to　　study　a　thing　before　he　tried　it？　It　might　turn　out　awful　hard！〃

Agamemnon　had　always　been　fond　of　reading；　from　his　childhood　up。　He　was　at　his　　book　all　day　long。　Mrs　Peterkin　had　imagined　he　would　come　out　a　great　scholar；　　because　she　could　never　get　him　away　from　his　books。

And　so　it　was　in　his　colleges；　he　was　always　to　be　found　in　the　library；　reading　　and　reading。　But　they　were　always　the　wrong　books。

For　instance：　the　class　were　required　to　prepare　themselves　on　the　Spartan　war。

This　turned　Agamemnon's　attention　to　the　Fenians；　and　to　study　the　subject　he　　read　up　on　〃Charles　O'Malley；〃　and　〃Harry　Lorrequer；〃　and　some　later　novels　of　　that　sort；　which　did　not　help　him　on　the　subject　required；　yet　took　up　all　his　　time；　so　that　he　found　himself　unfitted　for　anything　else　when　the　examinations　　came。　In　consequence　he　was　requested　to　leave。

Agamemnon　always　missed　in　his　recitations；　for　the　same　reason　that　Elizabeth　　Eliza　did　not　get　on　in　school；　because　he　was　always　asked　the　questions　he　did　　not　know。　It　seemed　provoking；　if　the　professors　had　only　asked　something　else！

But　they　always　hit　upon　the　very　things　he　had　not　studied　up。

Mrs。　Peterkin　felt　this　was　encouraging；　for　Agamemnon　knew　the　things　they　did　　not　know　in　colleges。　In　colleges　they　were　willing　to　take　for　students　only　　those　who　already　knew　certain　things。　She　thought　Agamemnon　might　be　a　　professor　in　a　college　for　those　students　who　didn't　know　those　things。

〃I　suppose　these　professors　could　not　have　known　a　great　deal；〃　she　added；　〃or　　they　would　not　have　asked　you　so　many　questions；　they　would　have　told　you　　something。〃

Agamemnon　had　left　another　college　on　account　of　a　mistake　he　had　made　with　some　　of　his　classmates。　They　had　taken　a　great　deal　of　trouble　to　bring　some　wood　　from　a　distant　wood…pile　to　make　a　bonfire　with；　under　one　of　the　professors'　　windows。　Agamemnon　had　felt　it　would　be　a　compliment　to　the　professor。

It　was　with　bonfires　that　heroes　had　been　greeted　on　their　return　from　　successful　wars。　In　this　way　beacon…lights　had　been　kindled　upon　lofty　heights；　　that　had　inspired　mariners　seeking　their　homes　after　distant　adventures。　As　he　　plodded　back　and　forward　he　imagined　himself　some　hero　of　antiquity。　He　was　　reading　〃Plutarch's　Lives〃　with　deep　interest。　This　had　been　recommended　at　a　　former　college；　and　he　was　now　taking　it　up　in　the　midst　of　his　French　course。

He　fancied；　even；　that　some　future　Plutarch　was　growing　up　in　Lynn；　perhaps；　who　　would　write　of　this　night　of　suffering；　and　glorify　its　heroes。

For　himself　he　took　a　severe　cold　and　suffered　from　chilblains；　in　consequence　　of　going　back　and　forward　through　the　snow；　carrying　the　wood。

But　the　flames　of　the　bonfire　caught　the　blinds　of　the　professor's　room；　and　set　　fire　to　the　building；　and　came　near　burning　up　the　whole　institution。　Agamemnon　　regretted　the　result　as　much　as　his　predecessor；　who　gave　him　his　name；　must　　have　regretted　that　other　bonfire；　on　the　shores　of　Aulis；　that　deprived　him　of　　a　daughter。

The　result　for　Agamemnon　was　that　he　was　requested　to　leave；　after　having　been　　in　the　institution　but　a　few　months。

He　left　another　college　in　consequence　of　a　misunderstanding　about　the　hour　for　　morning　prayers。　He　went　every　day　regularly　at　ten　o'clock；　but　found；　　afterward；　that　he　should　have　gone　at　half…past　six。　This　hour　seemed　to　him　　and　to　Mrs。　Peterkin　unseasonable；　at　a　time　of　year　when　the　sun　was　not　up；　　and　he　would　have　been　obliged　to　go　to　the　expense　of　candles。

Agamemnon　was　always　willing　to　try　another　college；　wherever　he　could　be　　admitted。　He　wanted　to　attain　knowledge；　however　it　might　be　found。　But；　after　　going　to　five；　and　leaving　each　before　the　year　was　out；　he　gave　it　up。

　He　determined　to　lay　out　the　money　that　would　have　been　expended　in　a　　collegiate　education　in　buying　an　Encyclop？dia；　the　most　complete　that　he　could　　find；　and　to　spend　his　life　studying　it　systematically。　He　would　not　content　　himself　with　merely　reading　it；　but　he　would　study　into　each　subject　as　it　came　　up；　and　perfect　himself　in　that　subject。　By　the　time；　then；　that　he　had　finished　　the　Encyclop？dia　he　should　have　embraced　all　knowledge；　and　have　experienced　　much　of　it。

The　family　were　much　interested　in　this　plan　of　making　practice　of　every　subject　　that　came　up。

He　did　not；　of　course；　get　on　very　fast　in　this　way。　In　the　second　column　of　the　　very　first　page　he　met　with　A　as　a　note　in　music。　This　led　him　to　the　study　of　　music。　He　bought　a　flute；　and　took　some　lessons；　and　attempted　to　accompany　　Elizabeth　Eliza　on　the　piano。　This；　of　course；　distracted　him　from　his　work　on　　the　Encyclop？dia。　But　he　did　not　wish　to　return　to　A　until　he　felt　perfect　in　　music。　This　required　a　long