So, of course, there was nothing to do but search the house. Behind a door in the kitchen, we discovered brick stairs that led down into a genuinely nice basement. The staircase had a pull cord light that allowed us to see inside. It was obvious that the basement had been used frequently by Mrs. Smith, because, like the rest of the house, it was entirely free of spider webs and dirt. Down at the bottom, we found shelves with rows of canned vegetables and fruits and a whole section full of preserves of multiple varieties, all nicely labeled.
A few wooden boxes were filled with items, each one covered by a tarp. I scrounged inside each of them and was delighted to find rags in one, cleaning items in another, and in the third, a brand new coffee pot and a shiny kettle for making tea.
Next to the bins, Mrs. Smith had kept a handy wooden cart that could be used for grocery shopping. I wondered how she’d managed to tote it up and down the stairs on her own, but maybe she used it in her younger years, when such an obstacle was not a hindrance. The cart looked brand new.
Beside it sat a small wooden step stool. I guessed she’d used that to reach the top of her shelves. I could almost picture her stepping onto it to reach up for a jar of pickles. That probably hadn’t been safe for an elderly woman, but we all did things that weren’t entirely recommended. Mrs. Smith must have been a very proud and independent woman, unwilling to ask for help. I wondered if she’d had family nearby or neighbors she could call on.
The basement also held two portable sinks with stoppers and run-off drains that looked like they drained out into the backyard. One basin was, of course, for the soapy water and the other for the rinse, and both were set up in a position so that fresh water could fill them as needed. There was also a lovely washing board with not even a hint of rust on it. Mrs. Smith had owned the very latest in efficiency.
When I’d thoroughly inspected all that, plus her array of brooms, mops, a couple of yardsticks, a spare clothes line, and other items, hanging on the wall, we returned back up to the kitchen and went in search of an attic just in case there could possibly be one of those, as well.