There was great excitement before the house when she
ari-ived, Crowds of small children clustered about it, and
twisted their legs in the scraper, or got their shoes between
the palings, and couldn't get them back again; others swung
on the chains, perpetually tumbling over, hurting themselves,
■nd crying; whilst others kept jumping up to look in at tlie



THE POfTLETON LEGACV. 66

window of the second parlour, in which the chief interest
appeared to be centred. And they all so swarmed about the
house, that Whacky was obliged to put them away with his
feet before he got to the door.
When Annie was admitted, she found the Miss Twinch's
sitting at a table, on which was so large a tea-pot, that it
looked like a soup-tureen with a spout and handle, and bora
a huge disproportion to the tea-caddy at its side. There was
also a great pile of what appeared to be bread, with currants
in it at most uncertain distances, but which Miss Twinch
denominated plum-cake. Bound the room sat twanty small
children — attired in those unrecognised varieties of fashions
which the full-dress of an uncostumed charity-school presents
— upon some forms, much too high for them, singing a moral
Bong to Miss Martha's piano accompaniment. As they were
going to the wild-beaSt show, Miss Martha had selected,
" Let bears and lions growl and fight," to bring their minds
into a fit state to view the savage wonders of creation, as well
as to warn them not to let their " angry passions rise' when
they struggled for a good place in front of the dens. The
pile of plum-cake, however, sadly interfered with their
throwing all their heart into the song; for none of them re-
moved their eyes once from it.
