A white iron bed stood against the wall, near the window. A small
table held a wash basin and pitcher. There was a cup and soap dish,
too.
Two clean towels hung near by.
Best of all was the little white bureau, with a mirror. The mirror
had a white frame.
There was a pink rug before the bureau, and beside the bureau was a
white chair.
"Oh, my!" cried Clematis, "see the flowers on the wall!" The pink
wall paper was covered with white roses and their green leaves.
Miss Rose took a white nightdress from the bureau, and laid it on
the bed.
"Now, Clematis, I shall give you just ten minutes to undress. When I
come back I want you to be all ready for me."
Miss Rose went out, and Clematis started on her shoes.
"I guess she don't know how fast I can undress," she said to
herself.
When Miss Rose came back, in ten minutes, she found Clematis already
in bed, and half asleep.
"Why Clematis, this will never do!" Miss Rose pulled back the sheet
and made Clematis sit up.
There, beside the bed, was a pile of clothes. There were the
stockings, just as she had pulled them off.
The boots were thrown down on the clean gingham dress, and the fresh
apron was sadly crushed.
"I am sorry, little girl," said Miss Rose, "but you will have to get
right up."
"Why?" asked Clematis.
"No little girl can go to bed without washing her face and hands. No
little girl can leave her clothes like this."
"Isn't this my room?" said Clematis, slowly getting out of bed.
"It is for tonight. We always let a new child sleep alone the first
night."
"Wasn't I quick in getting into bed? Why must I get up?"
"Look, dear. Look at that pile of clothes."
"Oh, I always leave them there," replied Clematis. "Then I know just
where to find them in the morning."
"We don't do so here, Clematis. Now please pick up the clothes, fold
them, and put them on the chair.
"Then put your boots under the chair, and take off your pretty hair
ribbon."
Clematis gathered the clothes together, but she was not happy.
"I know you are tired, dear, but I am tired too, and we must do
things right, even if we are tired.
"Now I must show you how to wash, and brush your teeth, and then
have you say your prayers, before I can leave you."
"Oh bother!" sighed Clematis.
"No, we mustn't say words like that. Come now, we will get washed."
Miss Rose poured some water from the pitcher, and made Clematis wash
her hands, and arms, and face, carefully. Then she took a toothbrush
from a box and gave it to her.
"What is this for?" asked Clematis.
"Why dear," answered Miss Rose in surprise, "that is a tooth
brush."
"A tooth brush! Why, there is no hair on my teeth."
Miss Rose laughed. "No dear, perhaps not, but we must brush them
carefully each night with water, or they will soon be aching."
"Will that stop teeth from aching?"
"Yes indeed, it will help very much to keep them from aching."
"All right, then." Clematis began to brush her teeth. "My teeth
ached last week. I nearly died," she answered.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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