oward the left. There!
Doesn't that look pretty?"

[Illustration: Arranging a Small Round Tray in Front of her Mother's
Place]

Mildred had been getting out the best cups and saucers and arranging a
small round tray in front of her mother's place with cream and sugar and
the tray bowl, and a place left for the tea-pot; the cups she put at
the right, arranging them in twos--two cups on two saucers.

"Mildred, after you pass the salmon, you may put the dish right in front
of Father; and the potatoes may go on the table too, as Norah isn't
here, though I like best to have them passed from the sideboard. The
muffins may stand at the side of the table, half-way down. Now let us
carry out all the dishes and begin to cook."

So Mildred took a pile of plates to heat, and Brownie carried a dish for
the potatoes, and Mother Blair brought the little custard cups; they
arranged these on the kitchen table where they would not be in the way,
and then Mother Blair told Mildred to see that the fire was all right.
"Always remember to look at that first," she said. "It needs shaking
down a little, and to have more coal on; and pull out the dampers so the
oven will heat."

Mildred hunted for the dampers, but could not find any. "I don't believe
there are any on this stove," she said, just as Jack came in to see what
was going on.

"No dampers! Isn't that just like a girl!" he exclaimed. "See, here they
are, tucked under the edge of the stove. You pull them out--so--and
then you shut the draft at the top, opposite the coal, and open the one
at the bottom, so the air will blow right up through the fire and make
it go like everything. And you have to turn the dampers in the pipe,
too, to let the heat go up the chimney."

"Good!" said his mother. "I didn't know you knew so much about stoves.
Now suppose you shake the fire down and put the coal on--that's a man's
work."

"All right," said Jack; "I don't mind things like that; but boys don't
cook, you know."

His mother put both hands over her ears. "Jack, if I hear you say that
once more, I shall believe you are turning into a parrot! And you are
all wrong, too, and some day I am going to give you some special lessons
myself. But to-day you may just tend the fire and bring us things from
the refrigerator as we need them, to save time. Now, Mildred, we will
begin with the custards, because they must be nice and cold. Brownie,
you bring the spoons and bowls and such things, and, Jack