behind the stove. Bring your things; there's
nobody about."

"Down to the kitchen" struck me as curi-
ous; it was always "out in the kitchen" at
home. I picked up my shoes and stockings
and followed her through the living-room and
down a flight of stairs into a basement. This
basement was divided into a dining-room at
the right of the stairs and a kitchen at the left.
Both rooms were plastered and whitewashed
-- the plaster laid directly upon the earth
walls, as it used to be in dugouts. The floor
was of hard cement. Up under the wooden
ceiling there were little half-windows with
white curtains, and pots of geraniums and
wandering Jew in the deep sills. As I entered
the kitchen I sniffed a pleasant smell of gin-
gerbread baking. The stove was very large,
with bright nickel trimmings, and behind it
there was a long wooden bench against the
wall, and a tin washtub, into which grand-
mother poured hot and cold water. When she
brought the soap and towels, I told her that
I was used to taking my bath without help.

"Can you do your ears, Jimmy? Are you
sure? Well, now, I call you a right smart little
boy."

[[10]]

p009 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p010w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p011

v?