Secretaire

The table was covered with a confusion of papers, books, pamphlets, all heaped upon one another pell-mell; and an open secretaire against the wall, was chokeful of the same litter; manuscripts, books in yellow-paper covers, books in smart bindings, books in shabby bindings, stuffed in anyhow, one on the top of the other, sideways, longways, endways; a row of pigeon-holes gorged with papers in the background.