The farmer 's three-cornered leathern chair soon stood on one side , and mother 's rocker on the other , as they toasted their feet and dozed or chatted in the pleasant warmth . The boys ' slippers were always ready on the hearth ; and when the big boots were once off , they naturally settled down about the table , where the tall lamp , with its pretty shade of pressed autumn leaves , burned brightly , and the books and papers lay ready to their hands instead of being tucked out of sight in the closet . They were beginning to see that `` Merry 's notions '' had some sense in them , since they were made comfortable , and good-naturedly took some pains to please her in various ways . Tom brushed his hair and washed his hands nicely before he came to table . Dick tried to lower his boisterous laughter , and Harry never smoked in the sitting-room . Even Roxy expressed her pleasure in seeing `` things kind of spruced up , '' and Merry 's gentle treatment of the hard-working drudge won her heart entirely . The girl was thinking of these changes as she watered her flowers , dusted the furniture , and laid the fire ready for kindling ; and , when all was done , she stood a minute to enjoy the pleasant room , full of spring sunshine , fresh air , and exquisite order . It seemed to give her heart for more distasteful labors , and she fell to work at the pies as cheerfully as if she liked it . Mrs. Grant was flying about the kitchen , getting the loaves of brown and white bread ready for the big oven . Roxy 's voice came up from the cellar singing `` Bounding Billows , '' with a swashing and scrubbing accompaniment which suggested that she was actually enjoying a `` life on the ocean wave . '' Merry , in her neat cap and apron , stood smiling over her work as she deftly rolled and clipped , filled and covered , finding a certain sort of pleasure in doing it well , and adding interest to it by crimping the crust , making pretty devices with strips of paste and star-shaped prickings of the fork . `` Good-will giveth skill , '' says the proverb , and even particular Mrs. Grant was satisfied when she paused to examine the pastry with her experienced eye . `` You are a handy child and a credit to your bringing up , though I do say it . Those are as pretty pies as I 'd wish to eat , if they bake well , and there 's no reason why they should n't . '' `` May I make some tarts or rabbits of these bits ? The boys like them , and I enjoy modelling this sort of thing , '' said Merry , who was trying to mould a bird , as she had seen Ralph do with clay to amuse Jill while the bust was going on . `` No , dear ; there 's no time for knick-knacks to-day . The beets ought to be on this minute . Run and get 'em , and be sure you scrape the carrots well . '' Poor Merry put away the delicate task she was just beginning to like , and taking a pan went down cellar , wishing vegetables could be grown without earth , for she hated to put her hands in dirty water .
A word of praise to XXXXX made that grateful scrubber leave her work to poke about in the root-cellar , choosing `` sech as was pretty much of a muchness , else they would n't bile even ; '' so Merry was spared that part of the job , and went up to scrape and wash without complaint , since it was for father .
Dick Harry Jill Merry Ralph Roxy Tom fire kindling sitting-room