nt will run directly
along the outer edge of it, and so your vessels will not stay there. But
if you have it Y-shaped, there will be a little sort of harbour in the
crotch, where your vessels can lie quietly, while the current flows
along by, out beyond the forks."

"That will be excellent," said Dwight, clapping his hands.

"And besides," said she, "the upper part of the Y will run out obliquely
into the stream, and so turn more of the current into your eddy, and
make the whirlpool larger."

"Well, and we will make it so," said David; "and then it will be an
excellent mole."

"Yes," said Mary Anna, "there will be all sorts of water around it;--a
whirlpool above, a little harbour in the crotch, a current in front,
and still water below. It will be as good a place for sailing boats as I
ever saw."

But the twilight was coming on, and they all soon returned to the house.

Madam Rachel had a little double-bedroom, as it was called, where she
slept. It was called a double-bedroom, because it consisted, in fact, of
two small rooms, with a large arched opening between them, without any
door. In one room was the bed, which moved in and out on little trucks,
for Caleb. In the other room was a table in the middle, with books and
papers upon it. There was a window in one side, and opposite the arched
opening which led to the bedroom was a small sofa.

Now, it was Madam Rachel's custom every evening, before the children
went to bed, to take them into her bedroom, and hear them read a few
verses of the Bible; and then she would explain the verses, and talk
with them a little about what had occurred during the day, and give them
good advice and good instruction. At such times the children usually sat
upon the sofa, on one side of the table, and Madam Rachel took her seat
on the other side of the table, in the chair, so as to face them. The
children generally liked this very much; and yet she very seldom told
them any stories at these times. It was almost all reasonings and
explanations; and yet the children liked it very much.

CHAPTER VII.

THE SOFA.

The boys took their places on the sofa, and afterwards laid their books
upon the table. After that Madam Rachel began to talk about the
occurrences of the day, as follows:--

"There are two or three things, boys, that I have been keeping to talk
with you about this evening. One is the question you asked, Dwight,
about Caleb's disobeying me, when he fell into the