"How far off you can see at these front windows!" said Sue. "I can see way up the river, and all those blue hills, and over hundreds and hundreds of houses, and lots of sky!"
Johnny came and stood by her side, and looked out at the landscape.
"It is beautiful, isn't it?" said he. "Why, I do believe it's the very handsomest view I ever saw! It is queer I never noticed before how fine it was. I wonder if father and mother know we've got such an observatory!"
"Wouldn't it be a pretty picture?" said Sue. "I wish it was a picture instead of real; for then I could carry it down in my room, and hang it up."
"Oh, no! it wouldn't be half as nice as it is now it is real. Just think how many changes we can see on all that great sweep of sky, how many clouds altering their shapes and colors every minute, and what glorious sunsets! We must come up here after supper to-night, and see the sunset. Let's surprise father and mother, Sue. If we can get the curtains, I'll have them up by that time, if you'll help me."
"Won't that be nice!" exclaimed Sue, dancing about. "And just see, Johnny! here's furniture enough to furnish your room right off: there's that red plush chair that isn't faded very badly; and that great, comfortable old wicker rocker that we used to like so much, because it would hold both of us easy,—and all that ails it is that it looks kind of old; and there's mamma's old toilet-table and a big ottoman;—and, O Johnny! there's our lounge in the corner that I've missed so much, because the new sofa isn't half so big."
"Yes, that's an idea!" replied Johnny. "There is quite a lot of furniture here; and that sofa looks like an old friend, if there is a hole in the cover that you kicked through. I guess mamma can find me a piece of cretonne that I can spread all over the bottom to hide the holes. And then, don't you remember, Sue, what a lot of old pictures there are in that big trunk, which were put up here when father bought so many new pictures at that sale? and some of those old ones are real pretty too, especially the engravings."
"And don't you remember the chromo with the winter in it, Johnny?"
"Oh, yes! that winter scene was pretty good: it represented the poet Whittier when he was a little boy, going to a country school."
"Oh, yes! I remember now," replied Sue; "and Mr. Whittier was in the picture, when he was a little boy, and his little girl that loved him was there with a blue apron on. Let's get 'em right out, and look 'em over, and see which you will hang up."