an to get me something from the top shelf
in the closet. He went, and failed to find it. Then I went, and took it
down. Jonathan, watching over my shoulder, said, "But that wasn't the top
shelf, I suppose you will admit."

Sure enough! There was a shelf above. "Oh, yes; but I don't count that
shelf. We never use it, because nobody can reach it."

"How do you expect me to know which shelves you count and which you
don't?"

"Of course, anatomically--structurally--it is one, but functionally it isn't
there at all."

"I see," said Jonathan, so contentedly that I knew he was filing this
affair away for future use.

On another occasion I asked him to get something for me from the top
drawer of the old "high-boy" in the dining-room. He was gone a long while,
and at last, growing impatient, I followed. I found him standing on an old
wooden-seated chair, screw-driver in hand. A drawer on a level with his
head was open, and he had hanging over his arm a gaudy collection of
ancient table-covers and embroidered scarfs, mostly in shades of magenta.

"She stuck, but I've got her open now. I don't see any pillow-cases,
though. It's all full of these things." He pumped his laden arm up and
down, and the table-covers wagged gayly.

I sank into the chair and laughed. "Oh! Have you been prying at that all
this time? Of _course_ there's nothing in _that_ drawer."

"There's where you're wrong. There's a great deal in it; I haven't taken
out half. If you want to see--"

"I _don't_ want to see! There's nothing I want less! What I mean is--I
never put anything there."

"It's the top drawer." He was beginning to lay back the table-covers.

"But I can't reach it. And it's been stuck for ever so long."

"You said the top drawer."

"Yes, I suppose I did. Of course what I meant was the top one of the ones
I use."

"I see, my dear. When you say top shelf you don't mean top shelf, and when
you say top drawer you don't mean top drawer; in fact, when you say top
you don't mean top at all--you mean the height of your head. Everything
above that doesn't count."

Jonathan was so pleased with this formulation of my attitude that he was
not in the least irritated to have put out unnecessary work. And his
satisfaction was deepened by one more incident. I had sent him to the
bottom drawer of my bureau to get a shawl. He returned without it, and I
was puzzled. "Now, Jonathan, it's there, and it's the top thing."

"The real top," murmured Jo