eat fun.

"Some people use tea-leaves on their carpets," her mother explained,
"and as they are damp they do take up the dust nicely; but they will
stain delicate colors so, I think it is safer to use bran, which also
takes up dust but never hurts any carpet. Now I will show you how to
sweep."

Beginning at one side of the room near the wall, she made long, even
strokes with the broom, not bearing on too hard, and sweeping toward the
centre all the time. "Don't give little jerky dabs at the carpet," she
cautioned, "for that is bad for it, and don't sweep from one side to the
other, but always toward the middle. But we forgot to open the window."

Margaret pushed up the one nearest to her and instantly in rushed the
wind, scattering bran and dust all over the floor. Her mother hurried
to shut it. "You must find out from which way the wind comes before you
open the window," she said. "That one did more harm than good. Try the
other one."

When this was open they could not feel any breeze at all, and it seemed
as though it was not worth opening, but the mother said it was exactly
right, for it made a draught, and carried all the dust gently outdoors.

After a time Margaret took the broom and finished the floor, and when
the dust lay in a little pile in the middle, her mother held the pan for
her and she swept it all up, except a little which refused to come on;
this they brushed up with the whisk-broom; they also brushed out all the
corners of the room with the whisk and pan, because the broom was so
large that it would not go in easily, and a little bit of dust had been
left in each one. The carpets looked nice and fresh when they had
finished.

"Once in awhile," the mother said, "it is a good plan to have Bridget
wipe off the carpets quickly with warm water in which a little ammonia
has been put. She squeezes out a cloth almost dry and works quickly, not
to wet the carpet too much, and the ammonia brings out the colors and
makes the whole look like new. Some housekeepers like to put a couple of
tablespoonfuls of turpentine in the water instead of the ammonia, and
this is just as good for the carpet, and if there is any fear of moths
being in it, it is even better. Every two or three months a carpet ought
to be wiped off in one way or the other to keep it nice. Now while we
wait for the dust to settle we will make the marble mantel clean. You
can get a basin of water, the sapolio, a flannel cloth, and a white
cotto