"I dare say I shall submit myself to it with a good grace,
said Mrs. Montgomery. "But come, my dear, have we got all that
we want? This desk has been very long in furnishing."

"You haven't given me a seal yet, Mamma."

"Seals! There are a variety before you; see if you can find
one that you like. By the way, you cannot seal a letter, can
you?"

"Not yet, Mamma," said Ellen, smiling again; "that is another
of the things I have got to learn."

"Then I think you had better have some wafers in the mean
time."

While Ellen was picking out her seal, which took not a little
time, Mrs. Montgomery laid in a good supply of wafers of all
sorts; and then went on further to furnish the desk with an
ivory leaf-cutter, a paper-folder, a pounce-box, a ruler, and
a neat little silver pencil; also some drawing-pencils, India-
rubber, and sheets of drawing-paper. She took a sad pleasure
in adding everything she could think of that might be for
Ellen's future use or advantage; but as with her own hands she
placed in the desk one thing after another, the thought
crossed her mind, how Ellen would make drawings with those
very pencils, on those very sheets of paper, which her eyes
would never see! She turned away with a sigh, and receiving
Ellen's seal from her hand, put that also in its place. Ellen