"That great room for such a child!" In her amazement, Elizabeth spoke
without thought. She was not used to seeing children set in the very
forefront. In her day, indeed, yet in some families the large open
garret was considered the place for children.
"You see, she was used to it at home--over there, I mean;" with a nod of
the head. "Her father's room was one side, mine on the other. Of course,
in a way I shall share it with her. I will keep it in order and look
after her clothes, and sew for her. But I prefer the smaller one."
Elizabeth was aghast. One of the best spare chambers, with the
furnishings that had come from England a hundred years before. On the
other side she and Eunice shared a plainly appointed room with some of
their very own belongings. There was still another, but the closet was
small. She had asked Chilian where they should be placed and he had
chosen this. It was his house, of course----
Whether it would have ended in a discussion could not to be told, for at
that moment a dray drove up with some boxes and a piece of furniture so
wrapped and protected that it was quite impossible to guess at its
name.
Chilian came out and ran lightly down the stairs; and then called
Elizabeth.
"Where had the boxes better go? They will have to be unpacked, I
suppose;" helplessly.
"There are more to come," announced the man. "Enough to set up
housekeeping, if the right sort of things are in them;" and he gave a
short laugh.
Miss Winn came downstairs. "Isn't there a garret to the house?" she
asked, looking from one to the other. "I packed them up, but I can
hardly tell----"
"Yes; we could store half the vessel's contents in it. Well, not exactly
that. A ship's hold is a capacious place. Yes, the boxes might go there.
Have you any idea what this is?"
"A sort of desk and bookcase. A very handsome thing the captain set
great store by."
The men shouldered the boxes and Elizabeth convoyed them. Silas was
spading up the garden and came at the call.
It was a work of some labor to get the article out of its secure
casings. It disclosed a very handsome piece of furniture in the
escritoire style, carved and inlaid not only with beautiful woods, but
much silver. Chilian surveyed it with admiration.
"That must stand in the parlor," he decided. "But some one must come and
help. I'm afraid I am not sufficiently robust. Silas, see if you can't
find the Uphams' man. He was working there a short time ago."
"If there's more to come, it is hardly worth while to clear up," began
Elizabeth. "I hope it will soon follow."
Chilian directed the two men, who found it still quite a burthen.
Elizabeth opened the parlor shutter unwillingly, and the men set it in
the middle of the floor.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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