It was more rudely furnished than the one below.  There was no carpet except the strip laid down by the bedside; the bed itself was very plain, and covered with a patchwork quilt; the two front windows were shaded with dark green paper blinds; and the black walnut bureau, washstand, and chairs were very old.  Yet all was scrupulously clean; and everywhere were evidences that the kindly care of Reuben Gray had taken pains to discover Ishmael’s habits and provide for his necessities.  For instance, just between the front windows stood an old-fashioned piece of furniture, half book-case and half writing-desk, and wholly convenient, containing three upper shelves well filled with books, a drawer full of stationery, and a closet for waste paper.

Ishmael walked straight up to this.

“Why, where did you get this escritoire, and all these books, Uncle Reuben?” he inquired, in surprise.

“Why, you see, Ishmael, the screwtwar, as you call it, was among the old furnitur’ sent down from the mansion-house here, to fit up this place when I first came into it; you see, the housekeeper up there sends the cast-off furniture to the overseer, same as she sends the cast-off finery to the niggers.”

“But the books, Uncle Reuben; they are all law books,” said the boy, examining them.

“Exactly; and that’s why I was so fort’nate as to get ’em.  You see, I was at the sale at Colonel Mervin’s to see if I could pick up anything nice for Hannah; and I sees a lot of books sold—­laws! why, the story books all went off like wildfire; but when it come to these, nobody didn’t seem to want ’em.  So I says to myself:  These will do to fill up the empty shelves in the screwtwar, and I dare say as our Ishmael would vally them.  So I up and bought the lot for five dollars; and sent ’em up here by Sam, with orders to put ’em in the screwtwar, and move the screwtwar out’n the sitting room into this room, as I intended for you.”

“Ah, Uncle Reuben, how good you are to me!  Everybody is good to me.”

“Quite nat’rel, Ishmael, since you are useful to everybody.  And now, my lad, I’ll go and send Sam up with your box.  And when you have freshed up a bit you can come down to supper,” said Gray, leaving Ishmael in possession of his room.

In a few minutes after the negro Sam brought in the box that contained all Ishmael’s worldly goods.

“Missus Gray say how the supper is all ready, sir,” said the man, setting down the box.

As Ishmael was also quite ready, he followed the negro downstairs into the sitting room.

Hannah was already in her seat at the head of the table; while behind her waited a neat colored girl.  Reuben stood at the back of his own chair at the foot of the table, waiting for Ishmael before seating himself.  When the boy took his own place, Reuben asked a blessing, and the meal commenced.  The tired travelers did ample justice to the hot coffee, broiled ham and eggs and fresh bread and butter before them.