ell as the front sides.

"Palms love it," her mother replied, "and it pays to use it on them, for
it keeps them green and glossy; you will see how pretty this looks when
we have finished it."

Sure enough, when they were done the palm looked as though the leaves
had just opened, and they agreed that it should have a drink of milk and
water every week. Then they put it back in its pot in the window of the
parlor, and the room was all done.

The last thing of all was the lesson the mother repeated for Margaret to
remember for all kinds of sweeping and dusting. It was like this:

"First get rid of all the ornaments and furniture in a room; in a
bedroom you can put the things from the bureau and mantel on the bed,
provided you dust them all well first. The chairs can go into the hall,
and over the bureau, table, sofa, and bed, you must put sheets and
towels, or even newspapers; never sweep till everything is well covered,
or you will have to do double work when you come to dust. Pin up the
curtains, and put bran on the carpet, and get somebody to help you push
the heavy furniture about so you can sweep under it; there are some
people who do not move these things for months, because it is too much
trouble, but nice housekeepers always move them every single time they
sweep. Use the whisk-broom in all the corners; wipe off the baseboards;
dust the pictures thoroughly, and shake out the curtains, and when the
room is rearranged, dust all the little things and your rooms will
always look as though they had been housecleaned."

"My windows really and truly need washing," said Margaret. "When I sweep
my room next week I shall wash them all myself."

"Then you had better learn how now," her mother said. "That will be a
good ending for the lesson. To wash windows you need a basin of warm
water, a little ammonia, and two clean cloths. Wring out your first
cloth in the ammonia-water until it is nearly dry, and rub the glass
over and over from one side to the other, and around and around. Wipe
dry each pane as you finish it, so it will not be streaked, and when all
are done, polish them off with a handful of tissue-paper or a chamois.
When you wash plate glass, such as we have in the parlors, do not use
ammonia, but instead put a few drops of blueing in the water, and when
they are wiped dry go over the glass again with a cloth wrung out in
alcohol. Do mirrors in this way if they are very dim; if they are new
but dusty, do not u