“To be sure. Funny way of living, but never mind, you’re never too old to learn, and we’ll begin next Saturday on gingerbread. What about clothes? Have you enough to last a while?”
“Ye-es, I think so; not many black things, and I want to wear black.”
“So you shall, for a while anyhow. What isn’t black can be dyed.”
“But dyeing is expensive, isn’t it?”
“You don’t suppose for one minute that I’d send anything to a dyer’s when you can get a package of dye for ten cents? No, sir. When I want coloring done I do it myself.”
“Oh!”
“Yes, ‘Oh!’ I imagine you didn’t know that things could be dyed at home.”
“Yes, I do know, for lots of the women artists do it when they want draperies or costumes and such things. Mother never did because there was always so much else to do, and because it wouldn’t have been convenient.”
“We’ll unpack your trunk to-morrow and then we can tell what can be dyed. You can help me with the stirring and rinsing. What about your mother’s things?”
“They are in a trunk Mrs. Austin is keeping for me. Mrs. Austin was one of our good friends.”