Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net THE LITTLE WASHINGTONS' TRAVELS BY LILLIAN ELIZABETH ROY AUTHOR OF THE POLLY BREWSTER BOOKS, THE GIRL SCOUTS BOOKS, Etc. ILLUSTRATED GROSSET & DUNLAP PUBLISHERS NEW YORK Made in the United States of America Copyright, 1918, by THE PLATT & NOURSE COMPANY [Illustration: THEY WERE SEATED ON THE FLOOR READING.] CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. NEW YORK THE GREAT MECCA 7 II. THE JOYS OF NEW YORK LIFE 26 III. SIGHT-SEEING IN NEW YORK 41 IV. THE BATTLE OF NEW YORK 57 V. SOME OF WASHINGTON'S HEADQUARTERS 79 VI. GEORGE'S STRANGE BATTLE 92 VII. BATTLE-GROUNDS AROUND PHILADELPHIA 108 VIII. A FIGHT WITH THE HESSIANS 121 IX. FAREWELLS TO WASHINGTON 137 THE LITTLE WASHINGTONS' TRAVELS CHAPTER I NEW YORK THE GREAT MECCA "My parlor chair swings around every way!" exclaimed Martha Parke, thoroughly enjoying the novelty of whirling on a Pullman parlor chair. "They all do, but folks are supposed to sit quiet and only swing when they want to see who's sitting on the other side of the car, or perhaps if a friend sits next to them and talks--then you have to turn and answer, of course," explained George Parke. Jack Davis, the Philadelphia cousin of the two Parke children, had the vast experience of travelling from his native city to the country home of the Parkes just outside of Washington, D. C., a few weeks prior to the opening of this story. So, of course, he knew all about the Pullman parlor chairs. "That isn't why they whirl at all! It's so you can turn to look out of the opposite windows, 'cause both sides of a railroad track have scenery, you know," glancing at the elders of the party to make sure they had overheard him. "Why, Jack Davis! That isn't the reason at all! It's for the convenience of the conductor to take up tickets, so he won't have to lean away over or knock off the passenger's hat. Then, too, when the buffet waiter serves luncheon on those folding tables, he has to have room to move the chair around and place the stand right over the passenger's lap. Don't you remember?" explained Anne Davis to her brother. "I'll ask mother--shall I?" ventured John Graham, a member of the travelling party from the South. "No, no! We don't want to know anything! Let's see who can find the first church along the line," quickly said George, to divert attention. For some time thereafter the young travellers were quiet, until Jack shouted: "I see one! It's old and tumble-down, but it has a steeple just the same!"