There were three parcels , two very small and one pretty big , lying on the table , but when we came to look for names there were none . `` Evidently Aunt Jean , in her hurry and excitement , forgot to label them , '' said Elizabeth . `` Let us open them . We may be able to guess from the contents which belongs to whom . '' I must say we were surprised when we opened those parcels . `` We had known that Aunt Jean 's gifts would be nice , but we had not expected anything like this . There was a magnificent stone marten collar , a dear little gold watch and pearl chatelaine , and a gold chain bracelet set with turquoises . `` The collar must be for you , Elizabeth , because Mary and I have one already , and Aunt Jean knows it , '' said Alberta ; `` the watch must be for you , Mary , because I have one ; and by the process of exhaustion the bracelet must be for me . Well , they are all perfectly sweet . '' Elizabeth put on her collar and paraded in front of the sideboard mirror . It was so dusty she had to take her handkerchief and wipe it before she could see herself properly . Everything in the room was equally dusty . As for the lace curtains , they looked as if they had n't been washed for years , and one of them had a long ragged hole in it . I could n't help feeling secretly surprised , for Aunt Jean had the reputation of being a perfect housekeeper . However , I did n't say anything , and neither did the other girls . Mother had always impressed upon us that it was the height of bad manners to criticize anything we might not like in a house where we were guests . `` Well , let 's see about dinner , '' said Alberta , practically , snapping her bracelet on her wrist and admiring the effect . We went to the kitchen , where Elizabeth proceeded to light the fire , that being one of her specialties , while Alberta and I explored the pantry . We found the dinner supplies laid out as Aunt Jean had explained . There was a nice fat turkey all stuffed , and vegetables galore .
The mince pies were in their place , but they were almost the only things about which that could be truthfully said , for the disorder XXXXX that pantry was enough to give a tidy person nightmares for a month .
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