The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-04-12

stood with her skirts carefully drawn mp
about her. THE idea Of a human being S
living in such a place as this
The house consisted Of one quite large
room, from which opened a small bed
room and tiny closet with shelves. evil
IDENTIFY used as a pantry and store-room.
| Sadie walked slowly over and stood in
the bedroom door.
Did you ever see such hlthy-looking
sheets" she exclaimed. THAT quilt Is
one your mother gave last Christmas,
Jenny and the comfortcrs my mother
gave him the year before. They will do
well enough. only they ought TO be aired.
Boys" she called. cant you tie q rope
between two trees to hang this bedding
oni Archie. you and Gussie carry out
these quilts and comfortors. and hang
them UP nicely, when the line Is ready
Ben. you take down the bedstead ami
carry II out-of-doors. too In fact, move
everything that is movable out OF the
whole house, so We can sweep"
All<el to work with a will and Sadie
after making sure her orders were 10 De
obeyod. suddenly disappeared and ran
home 10 consult her mother Before she
was scarcely missed. however, she was
back again with a clean bed-tic on her
arm.
Some Of you boys carry that straw-bed
over into the clearing" she commanded,
''and set fire TO it-tick and all 1t is the
only way to clean il, mother says. Then
some of you 20 somewhere, ! don't care
where. and ill this tick with clean
straw"
Plenty Of straw in our barn" cried
Ben. I'm 20 and iii it,"
And L. And J." called several
voices.
'No need OF your all going" said Char
ley who had mounted the wagon and
was turning the old white horse about:
two Is enough. Ben and Archie, come
Meanwhile. the work OF cleaning was
going on inside. All the furniture had
been carried out-of-doors. and was thor
oughly cleaned there; the floors were
swept many times. and the walls, which
were Of rough plaster. were brushed down
and carefully wiped by means Of damp
ened cloth tied over a broom. The ceiling
itself was so blackened by smoke that
several coats Of whitewash had to De
given IL before the fastdious children
could be satisfied. Hugh Wilson. whose
skill as a paper-hanger was known
throughout all Quechee, and who had
volunteered his services for the day went
10 work on the long strips OF Wallpaper
which the village store-keeper had LEI
them have for a mere nominal sum.
When noon arrived. they all repaired TO
Farmer Andrews barn. where they spent
a merry half hour over their lunch, and
then returned 10 their work with renewed
zcst
\ little later Sadie stood once more IN
the doorway Of the little bedroom and
contemplated its altered appearance with
pardonabie pride. fhe clean floor. the
bright paper on the walls the little win
dow polished TIL Il shone like new silver.
the clean. neatly-made bed i'm the corner,
with a strip OF ragcarpeting spread before
1t, gave the room cosy, home-liks look
which she felt must touch the heart OF
the lonely Old man. The window in this
room. as well as those i'm the larger one.
had been without curtains. but inexpen-
sve paper shades now hung from ali
and Jenny's dainty fingers had improvsed
Zoe this one sash curtains OF red calico.
while square of the same served FOR a
spread for a little three-leggad stand IN
the corner.
There Is not much literature here but
old almanacs and patent-mediclne books"
commsnted Jenny. as she rearranged
them on the red-covered stand. Lets