For the comfort of the family

The time and thought spent on the first meal of the day is the most momentous expenditure in the twenty- four hours. Start the members of the family off to office or school, after an appetizing, nourishing breakfast, with a kiss and a Godspeed, and the clouds of fortime must roll up very heavy, dark and threatening before they can spoil the day which has begun so happily. CHAPTER SIX: OUR INVALID NEIGHBOR CHAPTER VI OUB INVALID NEIGHBOR After we had become friendly with the family across the way and had visited the invalid we named her room The Abode of the Princess. Every comfort which love and thought could procure without much expenditure — alas, there was little money to use ! — ^was there. The walls were of a soft cafe-au-lait color, while muslin curtains of the same delicate tint draped the windows. They told me the secret of those curtains. White ones had been dipped in water which had been colored with coffee until the desired shade had been obtained. The hard pine floor, which had been stained and waxed, had soft-toned rugs, small enough to be easily and often taken out into the sun and air. There were few pictures on the walls and no ornaments anywhere. The room gave one a sense of restfulness as soon as one entered it. There was a wicker chair in the sunny window, but near at hand a light screen with bamboo frame stood ready to be pulled into place to shelter the invalid from breeze or sun. There were a few tiny pillows which when needed could be tucked behind a tired back, and there was a footstool in front of the chair. A small white enameled towel rack, such as one sees in a nursery, stood on castors within easy reach. On this were arranged the wraps of the Princess ; a soft, woolly thing to throw over her knees; a dainty knitted jacket and a flimsy scarf gave variety for different temperatures. A light table, high enough to allow her knees below it, was fitted out with every conceivable requisite for writing. There was stationery from grave to gay; a fountain pen; stamps; pencils; pencil sharpener and penknife; eraser; scissors; tubes of paste and glue, and a card index box in which to file clippings. There was a dictionary and a calendar and there was even a finger bowl half filled with water and a dainty towel for restoring pasty fingers to a state of smooth efficiency. OUR INVALID NEIGHBOR 69 Another table of the same kind held toilet accessories that the invalid might beautify and refresh to her heart's content without using an ounce of her carefully conserved strength searching for materials. Beside the bed on a small table was an electric night lamp, a thermos bottle for cold water — ^perhaps for a hot drink — a glass and a clock with an almost soundless tick. , A completely equipped work basket made I the Princess a person of great importance and kept her in constant demand, for the f anuly flew to her when a refractory button journeyed i off into space or a garment required the proverbial stitch in time. There were no fingers quite so nimble as hers, I was assured, nor a personality more soothing when things went wrong. There were books and magazines and always flowers, in the Abode of the Princess, sometimes a bowl full of lovely blossoms, often but one beautiful spray. The trays when arranged for her meals were things of beauty. The china was inexpensive but charming. Sets with pink tones, white and gold, a delicate green, and pale yellow for the breakfast tray. There was even a gaudy decoration of splashy red flowers with blue leaves which the invalid laughingly explained they used when they wanted to "handsome-up" a lamb stew. There was always a flower on the tray or a bit of green to give the meal a festal air.