His mother had her room, of course; and a big one it was.
There could be no objection to that.

Then another big one, of the very best, had to be set apart and fitted up for Ham and Miranda on their return home; and Dab had taken great delight in doing all in his power to make that room all it could be made.

But then Samantha had insisted upon having a separate domain, and Keziah and Pamela had imitated their elder sister to a fraction.
The "guest-chamber" had to be provided as well, or what would become of the good old Long Island notions of hospitality?
Dab said nothing while the partition was under discussion, nor for a while afterwards; but one day at dinner, just after the coming of a letter from Miranda, announcing the speedy arrival of herself and her husband, he quietly remarked,-- "Now I can't sleep in Ham's room any longer, I suppose I'll have to go out on the roof.

I won't sleep in the garret or in the cellar." "That will be a good deal as Mrs.Morris says, when she comes," calmly responded his mother.
"As Miranda says!" said Dab, with a long breath.
"Miranda ?" gasped Samantha and her sisters in chorus.
"Yes, my dears, certainly," said their mother.

"This is Mrs.Morris's house,--or her husband's,--not mine.