“He did not come quite here,” said Lucy, “but stopped out in the road; and now I suppose that he has gone home.”
“O, I am sorry that he didn’t come in. He would have liked to see our bird’s nest.”
“Have you got a bird’s nest?” said Lucy.
“Yes,” said Mary Jay, “with three young birds in it. And there is a little ladder, so that we can climb up very easily and see it. But you may take off your bonnet and put it away. You’ll find a nail to hang it upon in that closet.”
Mary Jay pointed to a closet door, which Lucy opened, and found there two nails, driven on purpose for her, low enough for her to reach. She put her bonnet upon one, and hung her satchel upon the other, after having taken out her book and slate. Then Lucy went back to Mary Jay.
“There,” said Mary Jay, “look there, and see what a table I have prepared for you.”
Lucy looked where Mary Jay pointed. There were two chairs placed near the window, with a board passing across from one chair to the other. The board was pretty wide, but not very long. It was smooth, and it looked very new. One end of the board rested upon one chair, and the other end upon the other chair, so that it made a sort of table. There was a small chair with a seat made of a kind of basket work, before this table. Lucy knew at once that this little chair was for her.
“Is that my table?” said Lucy.
“Yes,” said Mary Jay, “or desk; you may call it your desk, if you please.”
Lucy sat down at her desk, and she said she liked it very much. She put her book and slate before her, and found that the board was just high enough for her.