"But what would you do first?" asked Katy; who, now that her mind had
grasped a new idea, was eager to begin.

"Well--first I would open the blinds, and make the room look a little
less dismal. Are you taking all those medicines in the bottles now?"

"No--only that big one with the blue label."

"Then you might ask Aunt Izzy to take away the others. And I'd get
Clover to pick a bunch of fresh flowers every day for your table. By the
way, I don't see the little white vase."

"No--it got broken the very day after you went away; the day I fell out
of the swing," said Katy, sorrowfully.

"Never mind, pet, don't look so doleful. I know the tree those vases
grow upon, and you shall have another. Then, after the room is made
pleasant, I would have all my lesson-books fetched up, if I were you,
and I would study a couple of hours every morning."

"Oh!" cried Katy, making a wry face at the idea.

Cousin Helen smiled. "I know," said she, "it sounds like dull work,
learning geography and doing sums up here all by yourself. But I think
if you make the effort you'll be glad by and by. You won't lose so much
ground, you see--won't slip back quite so far in your education. And
then, studying will be like working at a garden, where things don't grow
easily. Every flower you raise will be a sort of triumph, and you will
value it twice as much as a common flower which has cost no trouble."