“I knew you would, Harry, but remember we have only just begun, and hitches will come sometimes, but even at the worst that need be, with moderate care, I think you would not go back to our one room again, and the routine meals.” “No; I begin to feel some of the aspirations of proprietorship, and to wish this little place were mine.” “I am so glad, Harry, because if you go on thinking so, in spring we can get a similar place of our own.” When they had walked and talked till Harry said he was going in to write letters, Molly returned to the house, and found Marta in grand confusion washing glasses, silver, and greasy dishes all together. “Oh, Marta! I must show you a better way than that. Take those things out of the dish-pan. Get clean hot water and a little soap, so. Now take glasses first; roll them round and put them in this empty dish-pan. Now the silver. Put the greasy dishes in, and leave them while you pour nearly boiling water over the silver and glass. Now bring the waiter and wipe each article as it comes out of that hot water. You see it takes only a minute; being hot they hardly dampen the cloth. “Now set those dry things on a tray, and wash the greasy dishes, using more soap if the water does not lather; slip each dish into this hot water, and wipe them out of it directly; don’t drain them, and then wipe them half cold.” When she had thus straightened Marta out, and set her to make up the fire and sweep the kitchen, she went up to her unpacking and other arrangements. CHAPTER III. MOLLY’S FIRST BILL OF FARE. _Lamb and Mint Sauce._ _Browned Potatoes._ _Boiled Cabbage._ _Italian Macaroni._ _Tomato Salad._ _Peaches and Cream._ MRS. WINFIELD had given Molly some useful information about her neighbors, and one item was that she could get cream from one, and salad and fresh vegetables from another. She had resolved to have a very simple dinner for to-day, although she knew it would be more expensive than a better-seeming one, where she could make good cooking count for half the money. She had ordered, on her way to the house, a fore-quarter of lamb weighing eight pounds, and at four o’clock she went down to see to the fire. Before going up-stairs she had put on coals and closed all dampers; now she showed Marta how to rake it, and how to arrange the dampers so that the fire would draw, and the oven get hot; then she left the kitchen, telling Marta, as she had everything tidy down-stairs, she could go to her room and put some of her belongings in place. Molly was now feeling glad of rest, for her unpacking and unwonted standing had tired her, and, thinking she might indulge herself, she took a book and lay down on the sofa. Half an hour she lay thus, enjoying the repose and her book far more than when she had had unlimited opportunity for both.