and the small lunch-cloths had a pile of their own. The
doilies were in a smaller drawer, all in piles, too, and the pretty
centrepieces were fastened around stiff paper made into rolls.

"If you ever have lovely table-linen you will want to keep it nicely,"
said the aunt. "I think it is high time you had some, too. I believe in
the old German custom of making a linen-chest for each girl; so learn
your lesson well, and when your birthday comes who knows what you'll
get? Perhaps a lunch-cloth or some embroidered napkins!"

"I'd like some towels, too," Margaret said, soberly. "I guess I'd like
to have some linen every birthday."

"Very well, I'll remember," said her aunt as they closed the drawers.
"And when you really begin to fill your chest I will make you some
pretty bags of lavender to lay among your sheets and pillow-cases to
make them smell sweet. We will go down-stairs now."

The pantry shelves were looked over next; in the china-closet in the
dining-room everything was in order; the dishes neatly arranged on white
paper, with pretty scalloped flouncings hanging over the front. The
plates were piled in sets, the platters were together, the glasses and
small dishes on the sides of the closet where the shelves were short.
There was really nothing to be done here, so they went into the kitchen.

The pantry where the pots and pans stood had rather dingy papers, and
they decided to have a good cleaning. They took everything off and
washed the shelves with warm water and borax and wiped them dry, and put
on fresh papers. The tins and dishes which were seldom used, were then
arranged on the highest shelf, and those which were used every day were
put lower down. The little things, such as the skimmer, the small sieve,
the egg-beater, and the spoons, were hung on nails driven into the edge
of the shelf which was over the baking-table in the kitchen, where stood
also the cups, bowls, and plates used in cooking, within easy reach.
When they were done, the aunt said, "Always watch for ants in the
pantry, and roaches and water-bugs in the sink. Ants hate borax, so you
can put that on the shelves in all the corners, and it will help keep
them away. Roaches come to the sink for food, and you must see to it
that they do not find it. Keep it perfectly clean and scalded out,
especially at night, and never let the sink-basket have any crumbs in
it. If, in spite of everything, the bugs do come, put insect powder on
the corners of