ough only one of them could strictly be called
a room. The other was rather a shed, or stoop, and it was entered from
the front by a wide opening, like a great shed door. The entrance to
the house proper was by a door opening from this stoop, so as to be
sheltered from the storms in winter. There was a very large fire place
made of stones in the middle of one side of the room, with a large
flat stone for a hearth in front of it. This hearth stone was very
smooth, and Mary Erskine kept it always very bright and clean. On
one side of the fire was what they called a settle, which was a long
wooden seat with a very high back. It was placed on the side of the
fire toward the door, so that it answered the purpose of a screen to
keep off any cold currents of air, which might come in on blustering
winter nights, around the door. On the other side of the fire was a
small and \ very elegant mahogany work table. This was a present to
Mary Erskine from Mrs. Bell on the day of her marriage. There were
drawers in this table containing sundry conveniences. The upper drawer
was made to answer the purpose of a desk, and it had an inkstand in
a small division in one corner. Mrs. Bell had thought of taking this
inkstand out, and putting in some spools, or something else which Mary
Erskine would be able to use. But Mary herself would not allow her to
make such a change. She said it was true that she could not write, but
that was no reason why she should not have an inkstand. So she filled
the inkstand with ink, and furnished the desk completely in other
respects, by putting in six sheets of paper, a pen, and several
wafers. The truth was, she thought it possible that an occasion
might arise some time or other, at which Albert might wish to write
a letter; and if such a case should occur, it would give her great
pleasure to have him write his letter at her desk.

Beyond the work table, on one of the sides of the room, was a
cupboard, and next to the cupboard a large window. This was the only
window in the house, and it had a sash which would rise and fall. Mary
Erskine had made white curtains for this window, which could be parted
in the middle, and hung up upon nails driven into the logs which
formed the wall of the house, one on each side. Of what use these
curtains could be except to make the room look more snug and pleasant
within, it would be difficult to say; for there was only one vast
expanse of forests and mountains on that side of