At this time, however, it happened to be the fashion for ladies to adorn their drawing-rooms with the oldest and oddest chairs that could be found.

It seemed to cousin Clara that if these ladies could have seen Grandfather's old chair, they would have thought it worth all the rest together.

She wondered if it were not even older than Grandfather himself, and longed to know all about its history.
"Do, Grandfather, talk to us about this chair," she repeated.
"Well, child," said Grandfather, patting Clara's cheek, "I can tell you a great many stories of my chair.

Perhaps your cousin Laurence would like to hear them too.

They would teach him something about the history and distinguished people of his country, which he has never read in any of his school-books." Cousin Laurence was a boy of twelve, a bright scholar, in whom an early thoughtfulness and sensibility began to show themselves.