"We're leaving you a great gift,"Papa once told us, " _ !"We thought this was another one of Papa's jokes.But Papa and Mama knew the true value of that gift.We children didn't -until much later.What great gift did our parents leave us?          They left us the oil lamp          On winter nights,I felt my way through the dark kitchen to get a drink of water for Papa.I was so afraid of the darkness that I never took the time to light the oil lamp or even to drink before I filled his glass.I always sipped from the glass on my way back to him, "Don't drink it all before you get here Miss,"Papa would call.          They left us the milking          Today I buy milk in bottles,pure and cold.But as a girl I had to milk the cows each day.Then after the milking I had to wash the milk pails  and pans.I couldn't use soap,because the water had to be fed to the pigs.The same was true of the dishwater.Soap in the water would have made the pigs sick.But even without soap,the dishes must shine,Mama said.So we had to make them shine!          Now we have the blessed telephone and the automobile.There's no barn  to clean out,no hitching  of horses.There is the warming magic of the furnace .There are the electric lights,with no oil lamp to clean.There are the vegetables that come in neat clear bags.If I want an apple pie,I don't have to climb a tree first.          And there is always water!It comes from shiny taps.          Now I know what Papa meant when he said, "We're leaving you a great gift.It's a great gift--the gift of going without.It makes you rich for all the days of your life!" The reason why she washed pans and dishes without soap is that  _  .
Mama wanted the dishes to shine the pigs were to drink the water soap was too expensive at that time soap was of no use