re a few absolutely necessary things, and the buying of these was a
perpetual adventure for Ona. It must always be done at night, so that
Jurgis could go along; and even if it were only a pepper cruet, or half
a dozen glasses for ten cents, that was enough for an expedition. On
Saturday night they came home with a great basketful of things, and
spread them out on the table, while every one stood round, and the
children climbed up on the chairs, or howled to be lifted up to see.
There were sugar and salt and tea and crackers, and a can of lard and
a milk pail, and a scrubbing brush, and a pair of shoes for the second
oldest boy, and a can of oil, and a tack hammer, and a pound of nails.
These last were to be driven into the walls of the kitchen and the
bedrooms, to hang things on; and there was a family discussion as to the
place where each one was to be driven. Then Jurgis would try to hammer,
and hit his fingers because the hammer was too small, and get mad
because Ona had refused to let him pay fifteen cents more and get a
bigger hammer; and Ona would be invited to try it herself, and hurt
her thumb, and cry out, which necessitated the thumb's being kissed
by Jurgis. Finally, after every one had had a try, the nails would be
driven, and something hung up. Jurgis had come home with a big packing
box on his head, and he sent Jonas to get another that he had bought. He
meant to take one side out of these tomorrow, and put shelves in them,
and make them into bureaus and places to keep things for the bedrooms.
The nest which had been advertised had not included feathers for quite
so many birds as there were in this family.

They had, of course, put their dining table in the kitchen, and the
dining room was used as the bedroom of Teta Elzbieta and five of her
children. She and the two youngest slept in the only bed, and the other
three had a mattress on the floor. Ona and her cousin dragged a mattress
into the parlor and slept at night, and the three men and the oldest boy
slept in the other room, having nothing but the very level floor to
rest on for the present. Even so, however, they slept soundly--it was
necessary for Teta Elzbieta to pound more than once on the door at a quarter
past five every morning. She would have ready a great pot full of
steaming black coffee, and oatmeal and bread and smoked sausages; and
then she would fix them their dinner pails with more thick slices of
bread with lard between them--they could