You might as well try to make brick without mortar, as the children of Israel did." "I could do that myself, my dear," said I, "but we won't discuss that subject now.

We will buy just what we absolutely need, and then work up from that." Acting on this plan, we bought first a small stove, because Euphemia said that we could sleep on the floor, if it were necessary, but we couldn't make a fire on the floor--at least not often.

Then we got a table and two chairs.

The next thing we purchased was some hanging shelves for our books, and Euphemia suddenly remembered the kitchen things.

These, which were few, with some crockery, nearly brought us to the end of our resources, but we had enough for a big easy-chair which Euphemia was determined I should have, because I really needed it when I came home at night, tired with my long day's work at the office.