She began by taking one of the pleasantest rooms in the house, although ’twas in the basement, and had windows cut to bring them on the south and east sides.  Then she had an outside door at the south with a wide piazza over it, which made the room actually just so much larger.  Across one side of the room is a wide stationary table,—­I suppose men would call it a work-bench,—­with a fall-leaf, in front of one of the windows, especially for an ironing-table.  Of course it can be used for anything else.  One part of it is about eight inches lower than the common height, where ever so many kinds of table-work can be done sitting.  Underneath the higher part are drawers and places for all the things that are useful about the laundry-work.  Her sink is in the midst of a perfect cabinet of conveniences.  There’s a hook or a shelf for every identical rag, stick, dish, or spoon that can be used or thought of; shelves at each side, and drawers that never by any possibility will hold what doesn’t belong in them.  One thing she won’t have; and that’s a cupboard under the sink for pots and kettles.  She says it’s impossible to keep such a place clean and sweet.  Things are shoved into it sooty and steaming to get them out of the way, and it soon gets damp and crocky beyond all hope of purification.  Hot and cold water run to the boilers and kettles, and there’s a funny contrivance for sprinkling clothes.  The washing almost does itself.  The tubs are of soapstone, at the opposite side of the room from the ironing-table.  Over the entire stove—­she might have had a range, but didn’t want one—­there’s a sort of movable cover with a flue running into the chimney that carries off every breath of steam and smoke from the cooking.  One would never guess at the dinner by any stray odors.  It is made of tin; the kettles boil quicker under it, and it makes the room a great deal cooler in summer by carrying the extra heat off up the chimney.  She has a place for the bread to rise, and a cupboard close by for all the ironmongery belonging to the stove, zinc-cloth and blacking-brush included.

[Illustration:  SISTER JANE’S KITCHEN.]

Her pantry I won’t undertake to describe.  It adjoins both dining-room and kitchen.  John says she never does anything in getting dinner but just sit down in an easy-chair and turn a crank.  That’s one of John’s stories, but she certainly will prepare a meal the quickest and with the fewest steps of any person I ever knew.  The funniest thing about it is, that I’ve known eight people at work in the room all at once without being in each other’s way one bit.  But that’s no closer than men work in their shops.

Jane intends to stay with us this winter, and I expect we shall have jolly times, for we’re going to board the schoolmaster.  If he calls to see you, as I think he will, I want you should read Jane’s letter to him.  She would take my head off if she knew I mentioned it, but I think he ought to know what’s before him.