314 
LINNAEUS 
ings and pointed shoes, which could compete with 
present-day fashions. On special occasions, such as 
royal visits, artificial and high erection of hair-dressing 
was adopted, which could not be completed in one 
day. Tradition has it that two of the daughters had 
to spend a night in chairs, lest the master-work of the 
hair-dresser should be spoiled. 
Add to this, that during the last twenty years of 
Linne’s life, the housekeeping cares were doubled by 
the increase of family, both in the town and in the 
country, in the latter place being joined to extensive 
farming, with whose prosecution Linne did not con¬ 
cern himself, so that this demanded a thrifty house¬ 
mother’s thoughts and untiring care. In this respect 
Sara Lisa deserved all honour, and her merits being 
known and recognized, the Consistory invited State 
Councillor Petraeus, who had presented to them a 
valuable shell cabinet, to dinner, it was the wife of 
Linne who was commissioned to undertake this. 
Among the academic accounts there was an item for 
this dinner of 77 dalers in copper [38s.]. 
In her house order reigned everywhere. Careless¬ 
ness and bad housekeeping not being tolerated, nothing 
which could be turned to use was wasted. At four in 
the morning the spinning-wheel began to hum, one of 
the daughters being always engaged upon it. A 
family tradition is preserved, that when at work on 
her dowry, the eldest daughter shortly before her 
wedding, oversleeping herself one morning, she 
received a box on the ear from her mother as a reminder 
of her unbecoming behaviour. Similar strict discipline 
was maintained with the servants, who, when the old 
woman was confined to her bed by some illness due to 
her years, were obliged to come into her chamber to 
spin under her supervision; those who, during the 
winter, spun the most, received the best present from 
their mistress. No carelessness was permitted in 
spinning, and so long as she was able, she examined 
carefully every piece. She had great pride, as the 
