"Mother wants something to drink," she said. "What shall I give her?"
"What did the doctor say she might have when he was here before?"
"Hot milk with a little water in it, or barley-water. She don't care about the milk; where can I get the other? Is it some kind of ale?"
"Oh no; you make it yourself, by boiling some barley and—"
But there Mrs. Brown stopped, for she could see by the expression of Jessie's face that she had never heard of barley-water before, and so she said—
"You must give your mother the milk to-night, and I will make some barley-water at home, and bring round in the morning. What time will your father be home?" she asked; for she did not think the girl ought to be left alone with the invalid all night.
But Jessie declared she was not at all afraid, and her sister and brother would be with her.
"Father don't come home till Saturday, and goes back Sunday night," added Jessie.
"Then you lie down on the bed beside your mother, so as to get a little rest," said Mrs. Brown, "and to-morrow I will come and help you clean mother's room, for the doctor says it must be done, and everything made fresh and nice, or she cannot get better."
"I know he said before that the house wasn't as clean as it might be, and I asked him if I should clean mother's bedroom, and he said I might take the carpets up and leave them downstairs if I didn't make a noise, and perhaps I might clean it another day. If you come in the morning you'll tell me what to do," said Jessie.