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The Chamber Work

First, the two little girls went into mamma's room, and put on over their bright glossy curls two little Martha Washington dusting-caps of pink and blue cambric, trimmed around the edges with scolloped ruffles, and ornamented with pretty little fanciful bows of pink and blue cambric, with scolloped edges. Then Annie took the pails and cloths, and Jennie the brushes, and brooms, and went up stairs.

The first rule of chamber work is to open the windows and turn down the bed clothes to air them well; beating up the pillows and the mattress. As Annie and Jennie always did this the first thing after dressing in the morning, and before going down to breakfast, the first thing now to do was to make up the bed. While Annie went to the further side, Jennie remained on the other, and thus, each sheet and blanket was brought up and laid over straight and smooth, with not a wrinkle in sheet or blanket, or a single article out of line. When all was done, the spread and blankets were turned neatly back, with the pretty ruffled sheet lying back on the nice white counterpane; the clothes were all neatly tucked and folded at the sides and the corners, and the pillows put up against the headboard. Then, while Annie washed the bed-room service, first emptying the waste water, and then washing out the cleanest dishes in warm suds, Jennie brushed the room, dusted the furniture and put the hair and clothes-brushes in order, and arranged the bureau and toilet table. They followed the same order in their brother John's room, which was all of the chamber work to be done that day, and then went down stairs. By this time the little housekeepers began to feel tired, and so they rested a while in their two little easy chairs in mamma's room, talking to mamma and each other until it came the time for getting ready for the