Chapter IX: Order From Confusion

"So you are at your old business of telling stories, grandma," exclaimed Mr. Morgan.

Milly caught the old lady's hand, kissed it, and ran from the room.

After half an hour, her aunt found her in a grand hurly burly of clearing up. Her cheeks were brilliant with excitement as she cried out:

"Oh, Aunt Priscilla! I'm going to make my room look as nice as Emily's. I never knew before that only the heathen were so disorderly. That's the reason Emily is so neat, and has her drawers all fixed up, because she is so very good a Christian."

"But, Milly, it will take a day at least to restore your clothes to their places. Why did you not arrange one drawer, or one shelf at a time?"

"Because," answered Milly, her eyes sparkling, "I wanted to do it quick. Do you think when I'm done, Emily's grandma will look at it?"

"Yes, indeed, it was her story, then, that suggested such a grand overturn?"

"Yes, aunty; and I'm going to try real hard to keep my things in order."

"That's right, dear. Did grandma repeat to you this verse? 'Let all things be done decently and in order?'"

"I didn't hear it. I wish the Hindoos knew about the Bible. They're awful; but I didn't think about its being bad, till I came here. When I go back, I shall tell them what God says."

"Milly, Milly, where are you?"

It was Emily's voice in the hall. Naturally amiable and affectionate, she had become greatly attached to her cousin, whose ardent, impulsive nature, and stronger traits harmonized well with her gentler ones.

Mrs. Morgan with a glance of dismay around the chamber into which one could scarcely find a standing place, was just returning to the parlor, when she stopped to see what Emily would say to all this confusion.

"Why, Milly Lewis! What are you doing?" exclaimed the little girl, holding up her hands in surprise.

"I'm fixing my room up," answered Milly, coloring at Emily's tone.

"Don't you want me to help you? But I forgot, Papa's going to take us to ride, I came to call you."

"Oh, dear! What shall I do? I'm sorry I began to be neat to-day."

"Come and ride," suggested Emily, "then I'll help you put away your things."

"Well, I will."

"You must make yourself look nicely, you know," urged Emily, archly. "Where's your brush?"

"I don't believe anything is anywhere," was the mournful reply. "I laid my sack down; but I can't find it, nor my hat either."

"Emily! Milly! Come, now, if you're going with me," called papa from below.

Milly flew about throwing the clothes with which the chairs were covered upon the floor.

"Oh, that is not the way to find anything! Where did you see your sack last?"

"Milly," said her aunt, coming to her aid, "I will give you your choice to go to ride and leave your room in this confusion, or to stay at home and take a lesson from me in order."

"I want to go with Emily," began the child. Then with a face full of resolution, she added:

"No, Aunt Priscilla, I'll stay at home."

"That's a dear child," said her aunt, kissing her. "Now run and carry this shawl to grandma to tuck around her, and then we'll go to work in earnest."

"Now," added the lady, when Milly returned, "We will make a beginning by hanging all the dresses in the closet. After this, remember that it is not a good way to turn closets and drawers inside out. Take one thing at a time; or what is better yet, keep everything in place so that there is no need of such an overturn."

"I must put all the skirts in the closets, too," exclaimed Milly. "Oh, here's my lost sack! Where shall I hang that?"

"Fix upon one hook and always hang it there. Then you will not be in danger of losing a drive, because you can't find it."

"I'll keep it on this one, because it's low, and my thick sack can go on the next hook."

"Here are two shelves, Milly. I would take the upper one for my school hat, and the lower for shoes. There, the closet begins to look in order. Run to Hannah for her hand brush and pan. The bits of paper must be swept up."