A Little Housekeeping Book for a Little Girl; Or, Margaret's Saturday MorningsBenton, Caroline French
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A Little Housekeeping Book for a Little Girl; Or, Margaret's Saturday Mornings
Benton, Caroline French
Home economics -- Juvenile literature
"Some people are careless about these little things," said the aunt as
they worked. "They think it does not matter if there is a hollow in the
mattress, or whether they have a cover for it or not. They mix the top
and bottom sheets, and never know which is which; but you are going to
do things the right way, which is always the easiest in the end."
They laid the upper sheet on with the wide hem at the top, as before,
but with the seam up instead of down. Margaret wondered at this, but was
told that this way made the two smooth sides of the sheets come next to
the one who slept between them, and at the same time made the upper
sheet turn over at the top with the seam underneath.
When the blankets went on, the Pretty Aunt said she was thankful to
notice that Margaret's mother always cut hers in two.
"What for?" asked the little girl.
"Well," was the reply, "double blankets are difficult to handle. They
are really one long blanket folded together, and one-half sometimes
slips and gets wrinkled, and is hard to get into place. Then,
half-blankets are more easily aired than whole ones, and more easily
washed, also. And if one is too warm in the night, and wishes to throw
off half of the clothes, it can be done without pulling the bed to
pieces. It is simple enough to cut a pair in two and bind the edges with
ribbon so the colors will match, and it well pays for the small
trouble."
"I sometimes wish I had a nice, fat comfortable instead of two
blankets," said Margaret. "I know a girl who has such a hot one, all
made of cotton and cheesecloth."
"They are not nearly as healthful as blankets, my dear, nor so easily
kept clean. People who own them would hate to have to tell how seldom
they are washed, because they are so heavy to handle that it is put off
month after month, and season after season. A pretty little silkolene
coverlet to lay on the foot of the bed, such as you have, or a small
eiderdown puff, is very nice, but blankets are the things to sleep
under. Now let us put the white spread on."
"But, auntie," objected Margaret, "you haven't tucked anything in! Just
see, not the sides nor the bottom! I don't like to have my feet out all
night; I like to be tucked in all nice and warm. Shan't we tuck in
everything as we go along? That's the way Bridget does when she makes my
bed."
Her aunt laughed. "Just wait!" she said. Then she put on the white
spread, and smoothed it nicely all over, and told Margaret to stand
opposite to her at the side of the bed near the foot, and do as she did.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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