of potato peelings, on
the floor under the sink. She seized it thankfully, and emptying its
contents on to a dirty plate, went to the tap and gave it a good wash
out. While she was doing this her eye fell on a piece of soap.
At last she managed to draw a dipperful of clean fresh water, and
glad enough she was; it felt so delicious, in fact, and she enjoyed
it so much, she could not bear to tear herself away from it, until
her mother's sharp voice brought her back to her duties again, and
the rest of her toilet was finished more hurriedly.

"What shall I do first?" she asked timidly, when she was ready.
In her clean pinafore, with her hair well brushed, and her cheeks
still glowing from the cold water, she looked so fresh and such a
pleasant sight to see, that a ray of something like pleased surprise
showed itself for a moment even on Mrs. Lang's tired face.

"Can you wash up two or three of the cups and things without smashing
them?" she asked.

"Oh yes," said Jessie, almost reproachfully, "I always do at home."
But the mere mention of that name brought the tears to her eyes, and
prevented her saying more.

"Well, do that first. You needn't wash more than two cups and
plates. I'd better lend you something to put on over your clean
apron, or you'll be wanting another before the day is out."

"I've got my overalls here," said Jessie, with pride. "Granny made
me two," and she stepped to the old bag and lifted out a dark-blue
galateen pinafore which covered her all up to the hem of her frock.

When she came back from washing the dishes she brought the
sweeping-brush with her, and, as a matter of course, began to sweep
up the littered floor. Mrs. Lang opened her mouth to tell her to
stop, then apparently thought better of it, and let her go on.
The kitchen swept, Jessie asked for a duster to dust the chairs and
other things, which needed it badly enough!

"A duster! Don't bother me about such things. We haven't got any."

Jessie looked nonplussed. "May I have this?" she asked at last,
picking up a bit of rag from a pile of things untidily heaped on a
chair. Mrs. Lang, though, was gone, and did not hear her.
Jessie looked at the rag, and pondered. At last, however, the
temptation to wipe off some of the dust became too much for her, and
she used it. "I can wash out the rag again," she comforted herself
by thinking. "I wonder what I had better do next," for Mrs. Lang had
not returned. "I s'pose I'd bett