wo good flaps; after this,
with my tools, of which I had now a chest-full, I chopped out of new
stuff and planed four strong legs quite square, and nailed them strongly
to each corner of my middle board; I then nailed pieces from one leg to
the other, and nailed the bed likewise to them; then I fastened a border
quite round within six inches from the bottom, from foot to foot, which
held all fast together. When all this was done, still my table was
imperfect; I could not put up the flaps, having no proper support. To
remedy this I sawed out a broad slip from a chest-side, and boring a
large hole through the centre, I spiked it up to the under-side of the
table's bed, with a spindle I contrived just loose enough to play round
the head of the spike, filing down that part of the spindle which passed
through the bed of the table, and riveting it close; so that when my
flaps were set up I pulled the slip crosswise of the table, and when the
flaps were down, the slip turned under the top of the table lengthwise:
next, under each flap, I nailed a small slip lengthwise of the flaps,
to raise them on a level, when up, with the top of the table. When I had
thus completed the several parts of this needful utensil, I spent some
time and pains by scraping and rubbing, to render it all as elegant as
could be, and the success so well answered my wish, that I was not a
little proud of the performance; and what rendered my work thereon a
still more agreeable task, was my pretty infants' company, who stood by,
expressing their wonder and approbation at every stroke.

Now I had gotten a table, I wanted chairs to it; for as yet we had
only sat round the room upon chests, which formed a bench of the whole
circumference, they stood so thick. There was no moving of them without
a monstrous trouble every time I might have occasion to set out my
table: besides, if I could have dragged them backwards and forwards,
they were too low to be commodious for seats; so I resolved to make some
chairs and stools also, that might be manageable. I will not trouble you
with the steps I took in the formation of these; only, in general, you
must know, that some more chests I broke up to that purpose served me
for timber, out of which I framed six sizeable handsome chairs, and a
competent number of stools.

But now that I was turned joiner, I had another convenience to provide
for. I had nothing wherein to enclose things, and preserve them from
dust, except t