,,sowing ,,and ,,sewing4 ,a ,sexagesima ,story4 by ,,charlotte ,m4 ,,yonge4 ,new ,york3 ,e4 ,p4 ,dutton and ,co41 #ci1 ,west ,twenty-,third ,street4 ,,preface4 ,,perhaps some may read allusions to a sacred ,parable underlying this little story4 ,if so1 ,i hope they will not think it an irreverent mode of applying the lesson4 ,c4 ,m4 ,,yonge4 ,,contents4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,page ,,the ,,sermon #a ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,the ,,sunday ,,school #ac ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,the ,,working ,,party #bh ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,teacher ,,amy #di ,,chapter ,v4 ,,the ,,trousseau #fd ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,stitch1 ,,stitch1 ,,stitch #gi ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,wandering ,,eyes #aja ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,amy',s ,,visits #aae ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,awkward ,,meetings #abg ,,chapter ,x4 ,,the ,,reckoning #aej ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,,which ,,shall ,,prosper8 #aei ,,sowing ,,and ,,sewing4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,the ,,sermon4 ,,four girls were together in a pleasant cottage room with a large window1 over which fluttered some dry sticks1 which would in due time bear clematis and ,virginia creeper leaves4 ,three of them were ,miss ,lee's apprentices1 and this room had been built out at the back of the baker's shop for them4 ,the place was the property of the ,lee family themselves1 and nobody in ,langley was more respected than they were4 ,ambrose ,lee1 whose name was over the baker's shop1 and who kept a horse and cart1 was always called ,mr4 ,lee4 ,he had married a pretty1 delicate young girl1 who had soon fallen into such hopeless ill-health1 that his sister ,charlotte was obliged to live at home to attend to her and to the shop4 ,and when young ,mrs4 ,lee died1 leaving three small children1 another sister1 ,rose1 gave up her place to help in the care of her old father and the little ones4 ,rose ,lee had been a sewing maid1 and1 being clever1 had become a very fair dressmaker2 so she took in needlework from the first1 and when good old master ,lee died1 and the children had grown old enough to be more off her hands1 she became the dressmaker and sempstress of the place1 since there was no doubt that all she took in hand would be thoroughly well turned out of hand1 from a child's under garment up to ,mrs4 and ,miss ,manners's dresses4 ,for1 as her sister ,charlotte proudly said of her1 the ladies had everything made down here1 except one or two dresses from ,london for the fashion4 ,her nephews were both from home1 one as a pupil-teacher1 the other at a baker's with a superior business1 and her niece1 ,amy1 the only girl of the family1 had begun as a pupil-teacher1 but she had such bad headaches at the end of her first year that her father was afraid to let her go on studying for examinations1 and cancelled her engagement1 and thus she became an assistant to her aunt4 ,then ,jessie ,hollis1 from the shop1 came home from her aunt's1 unwilling to go to service1 and begged ,miss ,lee to take her and teach her dressmaking2 and1 having thus begun1 she consented1 rather less willingly1 to take likewise ,florence ,cray from the ,manners ,arms1 chiefly because she had known her mother all her life1 and believed her to be careful of the girl2 besides which1 it was a very respectable house4 ,as plain work1 as well as dressmaking1 was done1 there was quite enough employment for all the hands1 as well as for the sewing machine1 at which ,amy1 a fair1 delicate-looking girl1 was whirring away1 while ,jessie was making the button-holes of a long princesse dress1 and ,florence tacking in some lining2 or rather each was pausing a little in her work to answer ,grace ,hollis1 ,jessie's sister1 a businesslike-looking young person1 dressed in her town-going hat and jacket1 who had stepped in1 on her way to meet the ,minsterham omnibus1 to ask whether ,miss ,lee wanted to have anything done for her1 and likewise how many yards of narrow black velvet would be wanted for the trimming of her own and ,jessie's spring dresses4 ,miss ,lee was gone up to the house for a grand measuring of all the children for their new frocks2 but ,amy began to calculate and ask questions about the width and number of rows1 and ,jessie presently said-- ,after all1 ,i think mine will look very well without any round the skirt4 ,why1 ,jessie1 ,i thought you said the dress you saw looked so genteel with the three rows---- ,yes1 said ,jessie2 but ,i have thought since-- and she hesitated and blushed4 ,amy got up from the machine1 came towards her1 and1 laying her hand on her1 said1 gently-- ,i know1 ,jessie4 ,and ,i know1 though you wanted to keep it a secret6 cried ,florence4 ,i was at church too last night6 ,oh1 yes1 ,i saw you1 ,florence2 and wasn't it beautiful8 said ,amy1 earnestly4 ,most lovely6 ,it is worth something to have a stranger here sometimes to get a fresh hint from6 said ,florence4 ,i call that more than a hint1 said ,jessie1 in a low voice4 ,i am so glad you felt it as ,i did1 ,flossy4 ,felt it6 ,you don't mean that you got hold of it8 ,then you can tell whether it was cut on the bias1 and how the little puffs were put on6 ,why1 what are you thinking of1 ,flossy8 exclaimed ,amy4 ,bias--puffs6 ,one would think you were talking of a dress6 ,well1 of course ,i was4 ,of that lovely self-trimming on that cashmere dress of the lady that came with ,miss ,manners4 ,what--what are you laughing at1 ,grace8 ,oh6 ,florence1 said ,amy1 in a disappointed tone2 we thought you meant the sermon4 ,the sermon8 said ,florence1 half annoyed1 half puzzled2 well1 it was a very good one2 but---- ,it did make one feel--oh1 ,i don't know how6 said ,jessie1 much too eager to share her feelings with the other girls1 even to perceive that ,florence wanted to go off to the trimming4 ,wasn't it beautiful--most beautiful--when he said it was not enough only just not to be weeds1 or to be only flowers1 gay and lovely to the eye8 said ,amy4 ,yes1 went on ,jessie2 he said that we might see there were some flowers just for beauty1 all double1 and with no fruit or good at all in them1 but dying off into a foul mass of decay4 ,ay1 said ,grace2 ,i thought of your dahlias1 that1 what with the rain and the frost1 were--pah6--the nastiest mess at last4 ,then he said1 proceeded ,jessie1 that there were some fair and comely1 some not1 but only bringing forth just their own seeds1 not doing any real good1 like people that keep themselves to themselves1 and think it is enough to be out of mischief and do good to themselves and their families4 ,and didn't you like it1 broke in ,amy1 when he said that was not what ,god asked of us8 ,he wanted us to be like the wheat1 or the vine1 or the apple1 or the strawberry1 some plain in blossom1 some fair and lovely to look at1 but valued for the fruit they bring forth1 not selfishly1 just to keep up their own stock1 but for the support and joy and blessing of all6 ,one's heart just burnt within one1 continued ,jessie1 when he bade us each one to go home and think what we could do to bring forth fruit for the ,master1 some thirty1 some sixty1 some an hundredfold4 ,not only just keeping oneself straight1 but doing something for ,christ through ,his members4 ,only think of its being for ,christ ,himself1 said ,amy softly4 ,well1 said ,grace1 ,i thought we might take turns to go to ,miss ,manners's missionary working parties4 ,i never gave in to them before1 but ,i shall not be comfortable now unless ,i do something4 ,and was that what you meant about the velvet trimming1 ,jessie8 ,it will save-- ,fifteen pence1 said ,jessie4 ,very well--or you may say threepence more4 ,so we can put that into the box1 if you like4 ,i must be going now1 and look sharp if ,i'm to catch the bus4 ,so good-bye1 all of you4 ,oh6 but won't you have the self-trimming1 broke in ,florence4 ,perhaps she'll be there on ,friday night1 and then we might amongst us make out how it is done4 ,florence ,cray1 for shame6 said ,grace4 ,i do believe you minded nothing but that dress all through that sermon4 ,well1 said ,florence1 who was a good-humoured girl1 there was no helping it1 when there it was just opposite in the aisle1 and ,i'd never seen one like it2 and as to the sermon1 you've just given it to me over again1 you've got it so pat2 and ,i'll go to the missionary work meeting too1 ,grace1 and very like the young lady will be there1 and ,i can see her trimming4 ,if you go for that1 ,i would go to a fashion-book at once1 said ,grace2 but ,i must really be off now1 ,i've not another minute to stop4 ,oh dear1 ,i forgot1 cried ,florence1 jumping up1 ,i was to ask you to call for our best tea-pot at ,bilson's4 ,and my mother wants a dozen-- and there her voice was lost as she followed ,grace out of the room through the shop1 and even along the road1 discoursing on her commissions4 ,amy and ,jessie were left together1 and ,amy stood up and said3 ,dear1 ,i am so glad you felt it as ,i did6 ,one could not help it1 if one listened at all1 said ,jessie4 ,amy1 ,i must be doing something for ,his sake4 ,i can't rest now without it4 ,you teach at the ,sunday school4 ,don't you think ,i might8 ,amy meditated a little4 ,i think they would make up a class for you4 ,when ,miss ,pemberton's niece goes away1 the class she takes has to be joined to her aunt's1 and that makes a large one4 ,then will you speak to ,miss ,manners for me8 asked ,jessie4 ,are they little girls or big ones8 ,oh1 that's the second class4 ,they would be sure not to give you that1 said ,amy1 as if she thought the aspiration very high1 not to say presumptuous4 ,perhaps ,margaret ,roller1 the pupil-teacher1 you know1 may take that4 ,then ,i should have hers and you mine4 ,they are dear little girls1 some of them1 only ,susan ,bray always wants a tight hand over her1 ,polly ,smithers is so stupid1 and ,fanny ,morris is so sly1 one always has to be on the watch4 ,here she comes1 said ,florence1 who was the nearest to the window1 and the entrance of ,aunt ,rose1 a brisk1 fair little woman1 young looking for her age1 recalled all her young ladies1 as ,florence and ,jessie1 and perhaps ,amy likewise1 preferred being called1 to recollect that stitching was1 at that moment at least1 the first thing to be attended to4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,the ,,sunday ,,school4 ,,perhaps ,amy's business-like tone about the school classes fell a little flat upon ,jessie's ear4 ,she had not been to a ,sunday school in her childhood4 ,her father had been a prosperous upholsterer's foreman in ,minsterham1 and ,grace and ,jessie had gone to an academy till1 when they were sixteen and fourteen years old1 their father died of a fever1 and their mother1 who had a cottage of her own at ,langley1 resolved on coming back and setting up a small shop there for all sorts of wares1 with ,clementina ,hollis over the door4 ,jessie was about eighteen1 two years younger than her sister4 ,she had always been a bright1 quick1 lively girl1 but never very thoughtful1 and much too inquisitive1 till her curiosity had brought on her a terrible accident1 which had kept her laid up in a hospital for many weeks4 ,she had come home quite well at last1 and much improved4 ,a fellow patient1 and likewise a lady who had visited her and lent her books1 had both made much impression on her4 ,she cared about right and wrong as she had never done before1 was more useful at home1 and tried to restrain her inclination to find out all about everything2 she said her prayers more carefully1 went to ,church more often1 and heeded more what she heard2 and altogether she was what her mother called an altered girl4 ,this was ,lent1 and a clergyman was staying with ,mr4 ,somers to preach a course of sermons on the ,friday evenings1 and it was one of these that had so much struck these young girls1 and had put into their minds for the first time1 with any real force1 the full sense that the true ,christian must seek to work for the good of the household of ,christ as well as his own household1 and that bringing forth good fruit does not simply mean taking care of oneself1 and trying to save one's own soul4 ,the language had been beautiful and stirring1 and there was a burning desire in more than one heart to be doing something for ,christ's sake4 ,the first thing that ,jessie thought of was the ,sunday school4 ,she had read books about it1 and her fellow patient was full of ardour about training little lambs1 as she called it1 so that it seemed the most beautiful and suitable task she could undertake4 ,amy ,lee1 on the other hand1 hardly knew how to spend a ,sunday without the school4 ,she had been a scholar there until she had quite outgrown the first class1 and had been more than a year confirmed1 and then she had become a teacher of the little ones4 ,she liked the employment1 and was fond of the children2 she would have been sorry to drop the connection with ,miss ,manners or with ,miss ,joy1 the mistress1 and the rest of the school staff2 she was pleased to work for and with ,mr4 ,somers and ,miss ,manners1 and she had been trained to be reverent and attentive2 but it had never occurred to her to think of it as more than a nice and good thing to do1 or to look on it as a work undertaken for ,christ's sake4 ,teaching at school1 ,i do that already1 she said to herself1 when ,aunt ,rose's entrance had made her work her machine more and her tongue less4 ,i must get something more to do4 ,oh6 ,i know4 ,there's poor old half-blind ,mrs4 ,long4 ,she is left to herself terribly1 they do say1 and ,i'll go and tidy her up1 and see to her and read to her every day4 ,i could do it before my work and after4 ,maybe ,i might get her to be a better old woman than she ever has been4 ,books say that nothing so softens an old woman as a nice1 bright young girl coming in to make much of her1 and ,i'm sure ,i'm nice and bright--not so much in myself1 but compared with the whole lot of ,longs4 ,so ,amy told her plan to her aunts1 as soon as ,florence and ,jessie had gone home to dinner4 ,the two aunts looked at one another1 and ,aunt ,charlotte said1 ,did the sermon make you think of that8 in rather a doubtful tone4 ,yes1 said ,amy4 ,one seemed to long to be doing some good1 not be only an empty flower1 as he said4 ,mrs4 ,long1 said ,aunt ,rose2 she ain't a very nice person to fix upon4 ,but no one wants it so much1 aunt1 said ,amy4 ,that's true1 said ,aunt ,charlotte4 ,well1 ,amy1 we must think about it1 and speak to your father4 ,run out now1 and gather a bit of parsley for his cheese4 ,amy knew it was to get her out of the way1 and felt rather disappointed that the proposal was not seized upon at once1 and applauded4 ,she's a good girl1 said ,aunt ,rose4 ,well1 so she is1 and ,i don't like to stand in her way1 said ,aunt ,charlotte4 ,but to pitch on old ,sally ,long of all folk in the world6 said ,rose4 ,there's no doubt but she does want something done for her2 but ,i misdoubt me if she will choose our ,amy to do it4 ,besides1 ,i don't like her tongue4 ,that's what daunts me most4 ,yes4 ,if she took it kind of the girl1 she would never be satisfied without talking to her of all the old backbiting tales that ever was6 ,and we that have kept our girl up from hearing of all evil just like a lady-- ,what is it8 said ,ambrose ,lee1 himself coming in1 after putting up his cart4 ,why1 that sermon last night has worked upon our ,amy1 so that she wants to do something extra1 said ,aunt ,rose4 ,a right down good sermon it was1 said the father2 a bit flowery1 to suit the maidens1 ,i suppose4 ,and she said it all off to me1 quite beautiful1 said ,rose1 who had stayed at home4 ,and what does the child want to be doing8 ,i won't have her go back to her books again1 to worry her head into aching4 ,no1 that's not what she wants4 ,her notion is to run in and out and see to old ,widow ,long4 ,widow ,long6 exclaimed the baker4 ,why1 she's got as slandering a tongue as any in the parish6 ,give the poor old soul a loaf or a sup of broth if you like1 but ,i'll not have my girl running in and out to hear all the gossip of the place1 and worse4 ,i knew you would say so1 ,ambrose1 returned ,charlotte4 ,all the same1 the child's thought shames me that ,i've never done anything for the poor old thing2 and she won't harm me4 ,ambrose chuckled a little4 ,i don't know but aunt likes a spice of gossip as much as her niece4 ',tis she tells us all the news4 ,well1 ,i can get plenty of that in the shop1 without going to ,dame ,long for it1 said ,charlotte1 laughing4 ,i like the real article1 genuine and unadulterated4 ,they were laughing at ,aunt ,charlotte's wit when ,amy came in1 and she looked from one to the other1 afraid they were laughing at her project1 and ready to be offended or hurt4 ,she did not like it when her father said1 ,look here1 my girl1 ,aunt ,charlotte says ,dame ,long's dish of tongue is too spicy for you1 and she must have it for herself4 ,i don't know what you mean1 father1 said ,amy1 nearly crying1 ,i didn't want it for that4 ,no1 you didn't1 child1 said ,charlotte2 but come along here1 ,i want you to help me dish up4 ,amy came with the tears standing in her eyes into the back kitchen1 vexed1 angered1 and ready to be cross4 ,her aunt set her to prepare the dish for the ,irish stew1 while she said1 ,father was at his jokes with me1 ,amy4 ,he don't like you to be running in and out to old ,sally ,long by yourself2 no more does your ,aunt ,rosy nor ,i2 but the poor old body didn't ought to be neglected1 and the sermon was just as much for me as for you1 so ,i've made up my mind to look after her a bit1 and you may come in with me sometimes if you like4 ,that was not what ,i meant1 said ,amy1 rather fretfully4 ,i dare say not4 ,there1 mind what you are about1 or you'll have that dish down4 ,where's the flour8 ,come1 now1 ,amy1 don't be daunted1 if you can't do good quite in your own way2 why shouldn't you ask ,miss ,dora now8 ,amy muttered and pouted4 ,i'm not such a child now6 ,ain't you then1 to be making such a pout at not getting just your own way4 ,down came the dish with a bounce on the table1 and away ran ,amy up the stairs1 where she cried and choked1 and thought how hard it was that she should be hindered1 and laughed at1 and scolded1 when she wanted to do good1 and bring forth the fruit of good works4 ,she heard ,aunt ,rose ask where she was1 and her ,aunt ,charlotte answer1 ,oh6 she will be down in a minute4 ,she felt it kind that no one said that she was in the sulks4 ,the relief did her good2 she could not bear that any one should guess what was amiss4 ,so she washed her face in haste1 tidied her hair and collar1 and hoped that she looked as if she had gone up for nothing else4 ,perhaps her father had had a hint1 and she was his great pet1 so he took care that the apprentices should not suspect that ,amy had been upset4 ,so he began to tell what had made him late at home4 ,he had overtaken poor ,widow ,smithers in much trouble1 for she had had a note from the hospital to say that her little boy1 ,edwin1 must be discharged as incurable4 ,it was a hip complaint1 and he could not walk1 and she had not been able to find any way of getting him home4 ,it so happened that all the gentlefolks were out for the day1 and she did not get her letter in time before the market people set off4 ,she was indeed too poor to hire a conveyance1 and was going in1 fearing that she might have to carry this nine-year-old boy herself five miles unless she could get a lift4 ,so ,mr4 ,lee had driven her into the town1 and after doing his work there1 had come up to the hospital1 and had taken her in with poor little ,edwin1 who was laid on a shawl in the cart1 but cried a good deal at the jolting4 ,the doctors said that they could do no more for the poor little fellow1 and she would have to take him home and do the best she could for him4 ,it fell very hard upon her1 poor woman1 for she was obliged to go out to work every day1 since she had four children1 and only ,harry1 the one who was older then ,edwin1 earned anything--and indeed he only got three shillings a week for minding some cows on the common4 ,the two girls must go to school1 and indeed they were too young to be of much use and the boy would have to be left alone all day1 except for the dinner hour1 as he had been before the hospital had been tried for him4 ,there1 ,amy1 said ,aunt ,charlotte1 as they were clearing away the dinner things after the menfolk had gone out1 there's something you could do4 ,it would be a real kindness to go in and see after that poor little man4 ,yes1 added ,rose2 you might run in at dinner time1 and ,i'd spare you a little time then1 and you might read to him1 and cheer him up--yes1 and teach him a bit too4 ,edwin ,smithers was always a very tiresome1 stupid little boy1 said ,amy1 rather crossly1 from her infant school recollections4 ,then he will want help all the more1 said ,aunt ,rose1 and it sounded almost like mimicry of what ,amy had said of old ,mrs4 ,long4 ,she did not like it at all4 ,it is the devices of our own heart that we prefer to follow1 whether for good or harm1 and specially when we think them good4 ,and yet we specially pray that we may do all such good works as our ,lord hath prepared for us to walk in1 as if we were to rejoice in having our opportunities set out before us1 yet the teaching a dull little boy of whom she had had experience in the infant school1 did not seem to her half such interesting work as converting an old woman of whom strange things were said4 ,however1 ,amy was on the whole a good girl1 though she had her little tempers1 and did not guard against them as she ought1 thinking that what was soon over did not signify4 ,by and by1 ,jessie came back radiant with gladness1 and found a moment to say1 before ,florence ,cray came in1 that her mother was quite agreeable to her teaching in the ,sunday school1 if ,miss ,manners liked it4 ,she had gone there herself for some years when she and ,miss ,manners were both young1 and she was well pleased that her daughter should be helpful there4 ,amy1 who was fond of ,jessie1 was delighted to think of having her company all the way to school1 and her little fit of displeasure melted quite away4 ,but when ,florence was heard coming in1 both girls were silent on their plans1 knowing that she would only laugh at their wishing to do anything so dull4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,the ,,working ,,party4 ,,are these fruits of the sermon on ,friday night8 said ,miss ,manners to ,mr4 ,somers1 as they finished winding up their parish accounts on ,monday morning4 ,not only1 as you know1 here is ,grace ,hollis wanting to join ,mrs4 ,somers's ,tuesday working parties1 ,jessie begging to help at the ,sunday school2 but ,i find that good little ,amy ,lee went and sat with poor ,edwin ,smithers for half an hour on ,sunday after church1 showing him pictures1 and she has promised his mother to come and look in on him every day4 ,it is very nice of the ,lees to have thought of it1 and to spare her4 ,yes1 said ,mrs4 ,somers1 the ,lees are always anxious to do right4 ,i had a talk with ,charlotte just now4 ,she came to get some flannel for ,mrs4 ,long4 ,she says she will make it up for her1 if the old woman can have it out of the club4 ,well1 she says it is quite striking how all those girls have been moved by ,mr4 ,soulsby's sermon on ,friday evening4 ,amy came home and nearly said it all off to her ,aunt ,rose1 and the girls were all talking about it in the workroom in the morning1 full of earnestness to make some effort4 ,i saw they were looking very attentive1 said ,mr4 ,somers4 ,shall you accept ,jessie ,hollis's help8 ,i think ,i can make a class up for her4 ,i suppose it would be a pity to check her1 but do you imagine that she knows anything8 ,i don't know2 but she is not at all a stupid girl1 and she cannot go far wrong with the questions on the ,catechism and ,gospels that ,i shall give her4 ,indeed ,i had thought of asking her and ,margaret ,roller1 and1 perhaps1 ,amy ,lee1 to come and prepare the lessons here on ,friday evenings after church4 ,a good plan1 said ,mr4 ,somers1 if it be not giving you too much to do4 ,not a bit1 especially at this time of year1 when nobody wants me in the evenings4 ,my only doubt is whether it is not keeping the girls out too late1 but ,i will see whether it can be managed4 ,the children might be better taught1 and the teachers might learn something themselves in this indirect way4 ,perhaps this was ,miss ,dora's way of acting on the sermon1 but she could not begin that week1 as a friend was coming to spend the ,friday with her4 ,meantime ,grace ,hollis had joined the working party that met every ,tuesday afternoon for an hour to make clothes for a very poor district in ,london4 ,she had been sometimes known to say that it was all waste of time to make things and send them away to thriftless1 shiftless folk2 but she had heard something of the love of our neighbour1 and our membership with the rest of our ,lord's ,body1 which had touched her heart4 ,so she brought her thimble and needle1 to join the working party who sat round the ,rectory dining-table4 ,mrs4 ,somers and ,miss ,manners shook hands1 made her welcome1 and found her a seat and some work4 ,grace looked about her to be sure who the party were4 ,mrs4 ,nowell1 the gardener's wife1 sat next to her4 ,then came little ,miss ,agnes from the ,hall1 sewing hard away1 and ,lucy ,drew from ,chalk-pit ,farm1 who was about her age1 next to her1 and old ,miss ,pemberton knitting4 ,a mixed lot1 said ,grace to herself1 and then her eye lit upon deformed ,naomi ,norris1 of whom she did not approve at all4 ,did not the girl come of a low dissenting family1 and had not her father the presumption to keep a little shop in ,hazel ,lane which took away half the custom1 especially as they pretended to make toffee8 ,meanwhile here was ,miss ,wenlock1 the governess at the squire's1 and ,miss ,dora reading aloud to the party in turn4 ,it was the history of some mission work in ,london1 and ,miss ,lee1 who was there1 listened with great pleasure1 as did many of the others4 ,indeed she well might1 for her eldest sister's son hoped one day to be a missionary4 ,but ,grace was not used to being read to1 and1 as she said1 it fidgeted her sadly1 and she was wondering all the time what mistakes mother would make in the shop without her1 and she began to be haunted with a doubt whether she had put out a parcel of raisins that ,farmer ,drew's man was to call for4 ,the worry about it prevented her from attending to a word that was read2 indeed she could hardly keep herself from jumping up1 making up an excuse1 and rushing home to see about the raisins6 ,then she greatly disapproved of the shape of the bedgown she had been set to make1 and did not believe it would sit properly4 ,it was ladies' cutting towards which she felt contemptuous1 and yet she would have thought it impolite to interfere4 ,besides1 it might make the whole sitting go on longer1 and ,grace was burning to get home4 ,at last the reading ended1 but oh6 my patience1 that creature ,naomi was actually putting herself forward to ask some nonsensical question1 where some place was1 and ,miss ,agnes must needs get a map1 and every one go and look at it--,grace too1 not to be behindhand or uncivil to the young ladies2 but had not she had enough of maps and such useless stupid things long ago when she left school at ,miss ,perkins's8 ,when at last this was over1 ,mrs4 ,somers came and spoke to her while she was putting on her hat1 and thanked her pleasantly1 saying that she was afraid that beginning in the middle of a book made it less interesting1 but that one day more would finish it4 ,then she added ,i don't like the pattern of that bedgown1 do you8 ,no1 ,mrs4 ,somers1 not at all1 replied ,grace4 ,it quite went against me to put good work into it4 ,i wonder whether you could help us to a better shape next time1 said ,mrs4 ,somers4 ,we should be very much obliged to you4 ,this pattern came out of a needlework book1 and ,i am not satisfied about it4 ,grace promised1 and went away in better humour1 but more because she had been made important than because she cared for what she had been doing4 ,she was glad no one could say she had been behindhand with her service1 but it was a burthen to her1 and she did not open her mind to enter into it so as to make it otherwise4 ,indeed1 her mind was more full of her accounts and the bad debts1 and of the cheapest way of getting in her groceries than of anything else4 ,as she walked back through the village she wondered whether ,mrs4 ,somers and ,miss ,manners would send to her mother's for their brown sugar this summer4 ,that would make it worth while to go to a better but more expensive place1 and have in a larger stock2 and ,grace went on reckoning the risk all the time1 and wondering whether the going to the working parties would secure the ladies' custom4 ,in that case the time would not be wasted4 ,it did not come into ,grace's head whether what she had thought of for the service of ,god she might be turning to the service of ,mammon1 if she only just endured it for the sake of standing well with the gentry4 ,but then1 was it not her duty to consider her shop and her mother's interest8 ,she was quite vexed and angry when she saw ,jessie go and fetch the big ,family ,bible that evening1 turning off the whole pile of lesson-books to which it formed the base4 ,now what can you be doing that for8 she said sharply4 ,i want to prepare my lesson for to-morrow1 said ,jessie4 ,and is not a little ,bible good enough for you1 without upsetting the whole table8 ,my ,bible has got no references1 said ,jessie4 ,and what do little children like that want of references8 ,if you are to be turning the house upside down and wasting time like that over preparing as you call it1 ,i don't know as ma will let you undertake it4 ,i have ironed all the collars and cuffs1 ,grace1 said ,jessie2 yes1 and looked over the stockings4 ,grace had no more to say2 she knew ,jessie had wonderful eyes for a ladder or a hole2 but it worried her and gave her a sense of disrespect that the pyramid which surmounted the big ,bible should be interfered with1 or that the ,book itself should have its repose interfered with for a pack of dirty children1 when it had never been opened before except to register christenings1 or to be spread out and read when some near relation died1 as part of the mourning ceremony4 ,it really made her feel as if something unfortunate had happened to see the large print pages on the little round table1 and her sister peering into the references and looking them out in her own little ,bible1 then diligently marking them4 ,her mother1 too1 asked what ,jessie was about1 and though she did not say anything against her employment1 their looking on1 and the expression on ,grace's face1 worried ,jessie so much that she could not think1 and only put a slip of paper into her own book at each she found4 ,the chapter she had chosen was the ,parable of the ,sower1 on which she had once heard a sermon4 ,she was amazed to find how many parallel passages there were1 and how beautifully they explained one another when she made time for comparing them on ,sunday morning4 ,she saw herself beforehand expounding them to the children1 and winning their hearts1 as her friend in the hospital had described1 and she was quite ready in her neat black silk and fur jacket1 with a little blue velvet hat1 when ,amy ,lee came to call for her1 in her grey merino1 black cloth coat1 and little hat to match4 ,they met ,miss ,manners at the school door1 and were pleasantly greeted1 and taken into the large cheerful room1 all hung round with maps and pictures1 where the classes were assembling1 and one or two of the other teachers had come4 ,the bell was heard ringing1 and while the children trooped in1 ,miss ,manners showed ,jessie a chair with some books laid open upon it1 the class register on the top1 and said3 ,i am sorry there has not been time to talk over your work this week2 but ,i have laid out the books for you1 and if you are in any difficulty come and ask me4 ,by this time the children had come in and taken their places1 and ,jessie was pleased to see that her class was of children of eight or nine years old--not such little ones as ,amy had threatened her with4 ,miss ,manners went to the harmonium and gave out a ,sunday morning hymn1 which was very sweetly sung1 and then she read prayers1 everybody kneeling1 and making the responses1 so that ,jessie enjoyed it greatly1 and felt quite refreshed by the prayer for a blessing on the teachers and the taught4 ,then ,miss ,manners told the eight little girls who stood in a row that ,miss ,hollis would teach them1 and she hoped they would be very good and steady and obedient1 and say their lessons perfectly4 ,jessie knew all but two who came from the other end of the parish1 and were not customers of her mother--at least she knew what families they belonged to1 and had only to learn their ,christian names from her list4 ,collect1 please teacher1 said the first girl1 ,susan ,bray1 very much in the voice in which she would have said ,candles1 please miss1 in the shop4 ,the ,prayer-book was uppermost1 and ,jessie found she had to hear the ,collect for the day repeated by five perfectly1 by two rather badly1 and one broke down altogether4 ,the question-book lay open under it4 ,some of the questions were very easy1 but of others ,jessie was not sure that the children were right when they replied to some quite glibly1 and she was not sure how to help them in others4 ,then followed the opening of books again4 ,jessie was longing to give out all she had to say about the ,sower1 and began bidding them turn to it in ,st4 ,matthew1 but ,susan ,bray stopped her most decisively4 ,oh6 please teacher1 we've done that ever so long ago4 ,we always reads the ,gospel for the day1 and here's the question-book1 and it's got answers4 ,and she thrust it right under the nose of ,jessie1 who by this time did not quite love ,miss ,susan ,bray4 ,she had plainly been sharp enough to see when her teacher was at fault4 ,the children read the ,gospel for the day4 ,it was ,refreshing ,sunday1 so it was not a difficult one2 the children were ready with the answers till the application came1 and then ,jessie had again to help them1 which she did by reading the printed answers and making them repeat them after her1 word for word4 ,while she was doing this with ,mary ,smithers1 who certainly was dulness itself1 at one end of the class1 there was a whispering at the other1 and she saw two children trying on each other's gloves1 and she quickly put an end to that1 and went on with another question and answer4 ,the moment her eye was off ,susan ,bray and ,lily ,bell1 however1 they began comparing some gay cards4 ,jessie turned on them3 ,you are playing with those things4 ,give them to me4 ,lily ,bell began to cry1 and ,susan pertly said1 ,it's our markers1 teacher4 ,i don't care4 ,i won't have you idle4 ,give them to me1 this instant4 ,just then the church bell began to ring1 and there was a general moving2 but ,jessie would not be beaten1 and caused the two cards to be given up to her4 ,the girls both cried with all their might while she was marking the class down1 and1 as they no doubt intended1 ,miss ,manners came to see what was the matter4 ,please1 ma'am1 teacher has taken away our markers1 and we shan't know where our ,psalms is4 ,they were playing with them1 said ,jessie4 ,we wasn't4 ,we was finding our ,psalms1 said ,susan4 ,you should not have done so while ,miss ,hollis was teaching1 said ,miss ,manners4 ,i hope1 if she is good enough to give them back to you1 that you will attend better in the afternoon4 ,jessie felt it all a little flat and disappointing1 all the more so that ,amy ,lee joined her1 and talked all the way to church about the children1 who had all passed through her hands when she was a pupil teacher1 telling all their little tiresome ways4 ,it seemed to rub off all the gloss1 and to change her scheme of feeding the young lambs for the ,great ,shepherd's sake into a mere struggle with tiresome1 fidgety children4 ,still her hopes and her spirits rose again at church4 ,she had her expounding of the ,sower on her mind1 and hoped yet to deliver it when she went to afternoon school2 but there proved to be the ,catechism and a whole set of hymns to be said1 and questions to be asked about them4 ,these questions did not come very readily to such an unpractised tongue as hers1 and she thought she could lead off into the discourse she had thought out over the ,bible4 ,but she had hardly gone through twenty words before she saw a squabble going on between ,lily ,bell and ,mary ,smithers1 and she had no sooner separated them1 and taken up the thread of her discourse about grace being sown and watered in our hearts1 than ,susan ,bray popped up up with ,please1 teacher1 it's time to read to us--,its ,miss ,angelina1 pointing to a little gay story-book4 ,you should not be rude1 and interrupt1 said ,jessie2 whereupon ,susan pouted1 the two idlest began to play with each other's fingers1 and1 as soon as she paused to take breath1 ,lily ,bell jumped up1 and brought her the book open4 ,she had to give up the point1 and begin to read something that did not seem to her nearly so improving as her own discourse1 as it was all about a doll left behind upon a heath2 but the children listened to it eagerly4 ,was this all the good she was to do by sacrificing all her time on ,sunday8 ,like ,grace1 she felt much inclined to give it up1 and all the more when ,florence ,cray came into the work-room the next morning1 laughing and saying-- ,well1 the impudence of some folk6 ,there was that there little ,bray6 ,i hear that she should say that ,miss ,hollis was put to teach her1 and she warn't agoing to care for one as wasn't a lady4 ,i can make her mind me fast enough1 said ,amy4 ,o1 you are bred to be a teacher1 said ,florence2 that doesn't count4 ,nobody else should trouble themselves with the tiresome little ungrateful things4 ,i'm sure ,i wouldn't2 but then ,i don't set up for goodness1 nor want to be thought better than other folk4 ,jessie had known that something of this kind would be said1 and was prepared for it2 but the child's speech vexed her sorely4 ,however1 she said-- ,i'm not going to be beat by a chit like that1 and at that moment ,miss ,lee came in1 and that kind of chatter ceased4 ,but ,jessie's cheeks burned over her work1 and she thought how foolish she had been to let her fancy for doing good1 and trying to live up to the sermon1 lead her where she was allowed to do nothing1 but get herself teased and insulted1 right and left4 ,should she give up8 ,that would look so silly4 ,yes1 but would it not serve ,miss ,manners right for giving her such stupid1 unspiritual kind of teaching to do1 and also serve the children right for their pertness and ingratitude8 ,no1 she could not give up in this way4 ,she had begun1 and she must go on1 at least till she had some reason for giving up respectably and civilly--only she wished she had known how unlike it was to what she had expected before she had undertaken it6 ,then she was sensible of a certain odd1 uppish1 self-asserting feeling within her4 ,she used to have it in old times1 but she had learnt to distrust it1 and to know that it generally came when she was in a bad way4 ,was she thinking of pleasing herself1 or of offering a little work to please ,god1 and try to let the good seed turn to good fruit8 ,ah6 but was it all a mistake8 ,was becoming a mark for ,susan ,bray to worry1 doing any good at all8 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,teacher ,,amy4 ,,it was a pleasant sight for ,amy when poor little ,edwin ,smithers's pale face brightened up1 as she opened his door4 ,he was not like the rough little monkey she had known at the infant school1 who had only seemed to want to learn as little1 and to play as many tricks1 as he could4 ,in the hospital1 the attention kind people had paid him had quickened up his understanding1 and mended his manners4 ,he had been petted and amused there1 and the being left alone in the dull cottage was a sad trial to him4 ,his mother had regular work1 and so had his elder brother1 but this kept them out all day from eight till five1 except that ,mrs4 ,smithers kept ,friday to do her own washing in4 ,she was obliged to be away even at dinner time1 as her work lay far from home1 and she gave her next-door neighbour1 ,mrs4 ,rowe1 a shilling a week to keep up the fire1 look in on the sick boy1 and give him his dinner4 ,she was unlucky in her neighbour4 ,many women would have gladly given far more kind service for no pay at all1 but they were too far off1 and ,mrs4 ,rowe made it a rule to do nothing for nothing4 ,his brother and sisters came in for a little while at twelve1 their dinner time1 but they wanted to go out to play1 and had no notion of amusing him2 indeed he was glad when they went away2 ,charlie clumped about so1 and made such a noise1 and little ,jenny would take away his picture books or the toys that had been given him in the hospital4 ,then ,polly would call her a naughty girl1 and snatch them from her1 and so his little wooden horse lost its head1 and his railway train was uncoupled1 and one wheel pulled off2 and when old ,mrs4 ,rowe found him crying1 all she said was1 ,dear6 dear6 don't ye fret now1 don't ye6 and when that did not make him stop crying1 she said he was a bad boy to make such a work about nothing4 ,when she was a girl1 nobody had frail trade like that1 all painted and gaudy1 to play with2 a bit of an oyster-shell or a crab's claw was enow for them4 ,he had got into such a caddle as never was too6 ,so she began to shake up his couch1 not in the least guessing how she was hurting and jarring his poor hip2 and when he cried out and tried to drive her away1 she thought it was all naughtiness1 and declared that he was such a bad boy that she should go away and leave him to himself4 ,the ,lees dined at one1 and work did not begin till two2 so ,amy had a good half-hour to spend on the little boy before she was wanted again4 ,going to see ,ted1 be ye8 said ,mrs4 ,rowe1 as she stood at her door1 while ,amy opened the wicket4 ,a proper fractious little to-d he be1 upon my word an' honour6 ,they do spile children in them hospitals1 so as one can't do nothing with 'em4 ,amy looked at ,mrs4 ,rowe1 a very clean woman1 but with a face and fists that looked as if they had been cut out of the toughest part of an old pollard ash1 and a mouth that shut up like the snap of a gin4 ,poor little fellow6 said ,amy1 and in she went4 ,she was on her knees at once by the poor little boy1 coaxing him and comforting him1 and feeding him with some of the stew that ,aunt ,charlotte had kept warm for him4 ,then he told how ,polly had taken away his horse and his train and broken them4 ,amy looked about1 and presently found the wheel4 ,a little hooking together was all the repair the train wanted1 and ,edwin was soon happy with it2 while1 as to the horse1 he was past ,amy's present mending1 but she would take it home1 and next time father had out the glue-pot she would put on the head4 ,then ,amy brought out a little book with the early ,bible history in pictures4 ,she showed ,edwin one every day when she came1 and told him about it whenever he did not know the story before1 or helped him to enter a little more into it4 ,she was surprised sometimes to find that he had carried notions away from school even when she had thought him only dull and giddy4 ,then he was pleased to say over the hymns he had learnt in the infant school1 and to talk a little about it4 ,amy was quite surprised to find how his mind had grown since he had been ill1 and how pleased he was to be taught a little verse of prayer to say when he was in pain4 ,she made him quite comfortable1 filled up his mug of water1 which the other children had upset1 put some primroses in a cup where he could look at them1 wrote a copy on his slate1 and ruled some lines1 caught the cat and put her before him1 found the place in his easy story-book1 and left him with a kiss1 promising to come again to-morrow4 ,it was very pleasant to be the bright spot in that poor little life2 and ,amy that afternoon stitched into little ,miss ,hilda's tucks1 to the whirr of her machine1 a whole pensive castle in the air about the dear little fellow who was not long for this world1 and whose pillow was cheered and his soul trained for ,paradise by his dear teacher1 who came day by day to lead him in the path to ,heaven4 ,the tears came into her eyes at the thought of how beautiful and touching it would all be--how she would lay a wreath of white roses on his coffin1 and---- ,what are you winking about1 ,amy8 ,go nearer the window if you want more light1 said ,aunt ,rose1 in a brisk1 business-like voice1 not at all like her dreams4 ,amy was glad to move1 feeling a little ashamed of being detected in crying beforehand about her own good works2 and as she approached the window1 she looked out over the lemon-plant and exclaimed--,there's ,miss ,manners6 ,miss ,manners was really coming into the shop1 and her little ,skye terrier was already running on into the work-room1 for he was great friends with ,amy2 he sniffed about1 sat up1 and gave his paw1 and let her show off his tricks while his mistress was talking to ,aunt ,charlotte4 ,then she came on1 nodded kindly a little greeting to each as they all rose1 and said that she had been thinking that it would be a good thing for all the teachers to meet for half an hour before evensong on ,fridays and look over their ,sunday work together1 so as to make it chime together4 ,she said she found it was done at ,ellerby1 and was very helpful to all2 and perhaps1 when he had time1 ,mr4 ,somers would come in and help them4 ,if they looked over the subjects beforehand1 they could note the difficulties1 and then she could refer to books1 or ask ,mr4 ,somers4 ,amy and ,jessie both uttered some thanks1 and ,aunt ,rose observed that it was very kind in ,miss ,dora1 and that it would be very nice for the girls4 ,florence did not speak1 but they saw her face and the gesture of her foot1 and when ,miss ,lee walked out with the lady through the garden1 ,florence broke out-- ,well1 how fond some folks are of being put to school1 to be sure6 ',tisn't school1 said ,amy1 it is reading with ,miss ,manners in her drawing-room4 ,o yes2 she makes you think yourselves ladies just to keep on grinding you at the teaching for ever2 but ,i likes my fun when my work's done4 ,i don't wonder at ,amy ,lee--she knows nothing better than sitting poked up and prim in ,miss ,manners's room2 but for you1 ,jessie ,hollis1 who have seen a bit of the world1 ,i should have thought you'd have more spirit than not even to be let to teach half a dozen dirty children without having your instructions4 ,here ,miss ,lee returned1 and ,florence applied herself to tacking in the lining again1 while ,jessie muttered to herself1 ,if ,i'm to teach them at all1 ,i'd rather do it properly4 ,jessie really wished it4 ,perhaps the notion of seeing the inside of ,miss ,manners's drawing-room made it doubly pleasant1 for ,jessie had eyes that really could not help taking note of everything1 though there was no harm in that when she kept them in due control4 ,she had been in the dining-room before1 and she hoped much that the class would be in the other room1 though she was half ashamed of caring4 ,grace came home better satisfied on ,tuesday1 because her patterns had been much appreciated1 though she still said the reading worrited her1 and ,naomi ,norris gave herself airs4 ,jessie and ,amy1 however1 went together on ,friday1 and found ,margaret ,roller1 the pupil teacher1 and ,miss ,pemberton1 an elderly farmer's daughter1 who always taught the little ones on ,sunday1 were ready there1 and in the drawing-room4 ,how pretty it was1 with fresh delicate soft pink and white cretonne covers1 and curtains worked with--was it really a series of old nursery tales8 ,and coloured tiles1 with sop's fables round the fireplace1 pictures1 books1 and pretty things that all looked as if they had a history4 ,jessie's bright eyes took note of all in a flash1 and then she tried to command them4 ,miss ,manners gave them all their greeting1 settled them all comfortably1 and then began by reading to them a short paper in a little book upon the spirit of the whole ,sunday1 asking them in turn to look out and read the texts referred to1 which ,margaret and ,amy did with a rapidity that astonished ,jessie4 ,once she lost the thread in wondering what was looking out of a half-opened basket2 but she caught herself up1 and found that there was infinitely more connection and meaning in the passages appointed for the ,sunday than she had ever guessed4 ,then ,miss ,manners asked whether they had any questions to ask2 ,margaret had one or two1 which sounded very hard to ,jessie1 and she would never have thought of4 ,it was the ,fifth ,sunday in ,lent for which they were preparing1 and they were respecting the unusually long and difficult ,gospel for the day4 ,margaret wanted to know whether the words ,by whom do your sons cast them out8 really meant that devils were actually cast out by the ,jews4 ,miss ,manners thought they were1 and she looked out1 and showed ,margaret1 a very curious account of the seal and sacred words of exorcism which were supposed to come from ,solomon2 but she advised the teachers not to dwell much on this branch of the subject1 but to draw out most the portion about the strong man armed1 and the warning against the return of ,satan to the soul whence he had been once driven out4 ,then ,jessie observed that she had not thought such things happened in these days1 and ,miss ,manners had to explain to her how the possession then permitted was here treated as an allegory to all times1 of the evil once cast off returning again if not resolutely excluded by prayer and a strong purpose blessed by the grace of ,god4 ,it soon became plain to ,jessie that she was ignorant of much which the others knew quite well1 and when the ,church bell began to chime1 and all rose to go1 she obtained a moment in which to say1 with something like a tear in her eye-- ,indeed1 ,miss ,manners1 ,i ought not to have undertaken it4 ,i see ,i am not fit to teach4 ,i do not think you can tell without a longer trial1 was the answer1 kindly given4 ,but ,i am so ignorant6 said ,jessie4 ,there is so much in these things that ,i never thought of1 and the others seem to know all about it4 ,it has been their regular ,sunday school round for years1 said ,miss ,manners1 so it would be strange if they did not4 ,but perhaps you will do all the better for coming to it fresh2 and ,i am sure you are willing to take pains and prepare4 ,yes1 said ,jessie1 slowly1 if----,you'll excuse me1 ,miss ,manners1 but---- ,please say it1 ,jessie1 said the lady2 or shall ,i say it for you8 ,this asking idle children very simple questions does not seem to you to be spiritual enough to be doing much good8 ,yes1 ma'am1 if you will excuse me4 ,i thought there was to be more expounding of ,scripture4 ,we must do what we can to get the children to attend to1 said ,miss ,manners4 ,even if we could get them to sit still while we expounded1 ,i am afraid they would not attend or take in what we said4 ,nothing is of use with such young things but keeping them on the alert with questions1 and trying to keep up their attention by being alive with them ourselves4 ,we must try to put into them the sense of ,god's love to them1 of their own duty1 and so on2 but rather by the tone of our questions about the lessons they learn than by discoursing long to them4 ,you can only fill a little narrow-mouthed pitcher with a few drops at a time put right in4 ,if you pour a great stream over it1 most will splash over1 and very little go in4 ,i am afraid the children were tiresome last ,sunday4 ,it is their nature always to try their strength with a new teacher2 but if you are firm and gentle1 and show them that you will be minded1 and keep them interested1 they will soon be manageable4 ,then1 ,jessie1 there is good hope that you may be sowing good seed1 though you and ,i may not always see the fruit here1 and it is nearly sure to be long before we can even trace the green blade4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,,the ,,trousseau4 ,,miss ,,manners',s words stayed with ,jessie4 ,she had plenty of sense and spirit1 as well as a real wish to do right1 and a yearning to spread the great ,light round her4 ,to be sure1 the going to some mission in a dreadfully ignorant and wicked place would have seemed more like a good work than just taking a class who would be taught and cared for even without her help4 ,but she could see that if she could not keep these tidy little trained children in order1 she would not have much chance with the street ,arabs she had read of4 ,she got on much better the next ,sunday4 ,she kept the children interested almost all the time1 all except the two lowest1 who were determined to chatter till she made one stand on each side of her1 and then one of them1 ,emma ,lott1 chose to howl till ,miss ,manners came to see what was the matter2 but she did not get much by that1 for she was only told that she was very naughty not to mind ,miss ,hollis1 and desired to stop crying directly1 which she did2 and then ,miss ,manners asked ,miss ,hollis to be so kind as not to take away her ticket1 if she would try to behave well for the rest of the day4 ,once more ,lily ,bell was so kind as to inform teacher that ,susan said she didn't care1 not for she4 ,to which ,jessie coolly answered that she hoped ,susan would soon learn to care for being a good girl1 taking care not to look the least mortified1 so that the information fell very flat4 ,after that she had no more trouble with sauciness from the children2 she began to find that ,susan was clever and bright1 and that ,kate ,may and ,lucy ,elwood were very nice little maidens1 who seemed to care to be good4 ,they brought her flowers1 told her funny little bits of news about baby beginning to walk1 and mother going to ,ellerby1 and she found the time spent at school a very pleasant part of her ,sunday2 while as to the hours of preparation with ,miss ,manners1 she enjoyed them so much that it was quite a blank if that lady had any engagement to prevent her from receiving her little party of teachers4 ,jessie found herself learning much more than she taught4 ,her quick nature could not but look into everything thoroughly1 and when she had been once shown how to throw all her mind as well as her soul into the study of the ,bible and ,prayer-book1 she found ever new delight in them4 ,she began to find it helped her to pray with her understanding1 as well as with her spirit at ,church2 to care more for her prayers at home1 and to feel more on the times of the ,holy ,communion4 ,she made her last year's hat serve again with a fresh tulle trimming1 that she might buy herself a ,teacher's ,bible1 and not worry her mother and ,grace any more by disturbing the big one1 since they thought it honouring such a ,bible to let it alone4 ,mrs4 ,hollis did read the ,psalms and one ,lesson every day4 ,she said she had once promised ,amy ,lee1 aunt to the present ,amy1 and she had hardly ever missed doing so4 ,but ,grace had not time4 ,just after ,whitsuntide the daughter of a very rich farmer in the neighbourhood was engaged to be married1 and wanted a quantity of fine work to be done for her1 making underlinen and embroidering marks to handkerchiefs4 ,she came with her mother to offer the work to ,miss ,lee1 giving six weeks for it1 but it was more than ,aunt ,rose thought right to undertake in the time4 ,she said she could not get it done without disappointing several persons1 and that she was very sorry1 but that she could only undertake two sets of the things in the time4 ,mrs4 ,robson1 the mother1 was vexed and half angry4 ,she said she hated common shop-work1 and ready-made things1 and she had taken a fancy to what she had seen of ,miss ,lee's work4 ,she even offered to increase the payment1 but ,rose ,lee stood firm4 ,she said there was no one at hand whom she could hire and entrust with such work1 and that she could not feel it right to undertake it1 as it would only lead to breaking her engagements4 ,o1 very well2 ,i see you don't care to oblige me1 said the lady1 twirling off with her very tight skirts1 and whisking up a train like a fish's tail4 ,no1 ,i will not break the set4 ,i am not accustomed to refusals4 ,and off the two ladies drove1 and ,jessie told the story at home with a great deal of spirit4 ,now that's just like ,rose ,lee1 said ,grace4 ,she won't make a bit of exertion for her own good6 ,well1 said ,jessie1 you know we should have to work awfully hard if she took it in hand4 ,i suppose she would have paid you for extra hours1 said ,grace sharply4 ,miss ,rose said it was the way to ruin a girl's health to set her to do such a lot of work1 said ,jessie4 ,and quite right too1 put in her mother4 ,i knew a girl who was apprenticed to a dressmaker1 and sat up five nights when they had two black jobs one after the other1 and that girl's eyes never was the same again6 ,besides1 added ,jessie1 there's so much in hand4 ,well1 it might not do to offend ,mrs4 or ,miss ,manners1 but-- ,o1 it is not that6 ,the children's things were sent home yesterday4 ,i wish you could have seen them1 they were loves2 and ,miss ,manners has got a new dress from ,london4 ,she let ,miss ,lee see it1 and take the pattern of the trimming4 ,no1 but ,mrs4 ,drew has sent her ,swiss cambric to be made up for ,miss ,alice1 and ,miss ,pemberton has a new carmelite to be finished1 and there are some dresses for the maids at the hall1 all promised by ,midsummer day4 ,pooh6 ,customers like that can wait4 ,i don't see that it is a bit more right to disappoint them than any one else1 said ,jessie sturdily4 ,old ,miss ,pemberton1 to be compared with a lady like that6 exclaimed ,grace4 ,it doesn't make much odds as to right or wrong1 said ,jessie1 but ,i don't think ,mrs4 ,robson is much of a lady1 to judge by the way she gave her orders and flounced off in a huff4 ,a lady1 said ,mrs4 ,hollis1 contemptuously1 ,i should think not4 ,why1 her father kept the ',white ,feathers' at ,ellerby2 and ,robson1 he rose up just by speculations1 as they call them2 but ,i've seen him a little greengrocer's errand-boy1 with a face like a dirty potato4 ,they can pay1 any way1 said ,grace4 ,folks say ,robson could buy out our squire1 ay1 and my lord himself1 if he chose4 ,and ,i'm sure1 said ,jessie1 she and her daughter had clothes on that must cost forty or fifty pounds apiece4 ,such a fur cloak1 lined with ermine2 and the young lady's jacket was sealskin1 trimmed ever so deep with sable1 and a hummingbird in her hat4 ,they say little ,miss ,hilda saw her and cried for pity of the poor dear little bird4 ,well1 ,i'll tell you what1 said ,grace1 ,i'll set off this minute to ,newcome ,park1 and see if ,i can't get the work1 or at least some of it4 ,you and ,i can do plain work as well any day as ,rose ,lee1 ,jessie4 ,yes1 said ,jessie1 but ,i have my time at ,miss ,lee's all the same4 ,of course1 child2 but there are the evenings1 and ,i can sit to it while mother minds the shop4 ,don't undertake more than you can manage1 ,grace1 said ,mrs4 ,hollis4 ,trust me for that1 mother4 ,you can wash up1 ,jessie2 ,i can get there before they go to dress for dinner4 ,it is a capital thing6 ,it will just make up for that bad debt of ,long's1 and help us to get in a real genteel stock of summer goods4 ,grace managed the house1 and her mother1 who durst not say a word when she was set on a thing2 and as to ,jessie1 her sister always treated her as a rather naughty1 idle child4 ,the girl had struggled hotly against this1 but it had always ended in getting into such a temper1 and saying such fierce and violent things1 that she had been much grieved and ashamed of herself1 and now felt it better to let ,grace have her way than to get into a dispute which was sure to make her do wrong4 ,but when ,grace1 as neat as a new pin1 had tripped out of the house1 ,mrs4 ,hollis and ,jessie looked at one another1 as if they had a pretty severe task set them4 ,well1 ,i think we could have managed without1 said ,mrs4 ,hollis1 but to be sure it is as well to be on the safe side2 though ,i'd rather be without the money than be at all the trouble and hurry this work will be6 ,i am sure ,i had1 said ,jessie4 ,i wish ,i had said nothing about it4 ,grace can't bear to hear of anything going that she has not got4 ,any way1 said ,mrs4 ,hollis1 you shall not be put upon1 ,jessie1 after all your work at ,miss ,lee's4 ,you shall not be made to sit at your needle all the evening4 ,it is not good for your health1 and so ,i shall tell ,grace4 ,jessie thanked her mother1 but had little hope that she would be able to hold out against one so determined as her sister4 ,neither mother nor daughter would have broken her heart if ,grace's application had come too late1 but no such thing6 ,it had been dark about an hour when she was driven up to the door in a dog-cart1 out of which huge rolls of linen were lifted1 enough1 as it seemed1 to stock the shop4 ,grace shook hands with the smart groom who had driven her1 thanked him1 and came in in high spirits4 ,mrs4 ,robson had been most gracious6 ,she said she had feared being obliged to put up with mere warehouse work1 and that she could not bear2 but country people were so lazy and disobliging4 ,it was not what she was used to4 ,grace had been taken up into the young lady's own room1 and oh6 what she had to tell about tall cheval glasses1 and ivory-backed brushes1 and rose-coloured curtains1 and marble-topped washhand-stands1 and a bed and wardrobe of inlaid wood1 with beautiful birds and flowers1 and gold-topped bottles and boxes1 and downy chairs6 ,the description was enough to last a week1 and indeed it did1 for fresh details came out continually4 ,it almost made ,jessie jealous for ,miss ,manners4 ,once when she had been caught in a sudden shower and arrived wet through she had been taken up to ,miss ,manners's bed-room to take off her boots and put on slippers4 ,and there was only a plain little iron bed1 uncurtained1 and the floor was bare except for rugs at the hearth and bed-side1 and the furniture was nothing but white dimity4 ,the chimney ornaments and the washhand-stand looked like those in a nursery--as indeed they well might1 for they had belonged to ,miss ,dora nearly all her life2 they all had stories belonging to them1 were keepsakes from dear friends1 and she would not have given one1 no1 not the shell cat with an ear off1 nor the little picture made of coloured sand1 for ,miss ,robson's finest gilded box1 unless indeed that had come in the same way4 ,and there were two prints on the walls1 very grave and beautiful1 which made one feel like being in ,church1 and so did the illuminated texts1 though all were not equally well done1 some being painted by her little nieces4 ,jessie had a feeling in her mind that there was something finer and nobler in not making one's own nest so very splendid and luxurious1 but she knew ,grace would laugh at the notion1 so she said nothing of the difference1 while her mother said1 ,dear1 dear6 and ,think of that6 at each new bit of magnificence she heard of4 ,grace had her patterns and materials1 and the fineness of them1 and beauty of the lace provided for the trimming1 were quite delightful to look at4 ,the payment was to be very handsome1 and ,grace felt secure of carrying through the work in time1 with the help of her mother and sister4 ,you shall have your share1 ,jessie1 she said4 ,see1 here are some sweet ,french cambric handkerchiefs to be marked in embroidery4 ',i have a sister who can embroider beautifully1' says ,i1 and they just jumped at it4 ',nina' is the name to be worked in the corners4 ,oh1 ,i like embroidery1 cried ,jessie4 ,thank you1 ,grace4 ,there's six dozen1 said ,grace1 and you'll be able to do one a day4 ,four pence a letter4 ,why it will be quite a little fortune to you1 said ,grace1 overpowered with her own generosity2 and ,jessie on her side thought of the many things #dl4 #afs4 would do for her4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,stitch1 ,,stitch1 ,,stitch4 ,,it must be confessed that ,mrs4 ,hollis and ,jessie had a hard time of it while those wedding clothes were being made6 ,there was no time for anything1 certainly not for cooking4 ,they ate the cold ,sunday joint as long as it lasted1 and lived the rest of the week on bread and cheese1 and ,australian meat now and then4 ,grace got up before four every morning1 and there was not much peace in bed for any one after that4 ,of course the shop had to be minded1 and that ,mrs4 ,hollis did1 but she was expected to be at her needle at every spare moment2 and for the needful cleaning and rougher work1 ,grace got a woman for a couple of hours who came cheap1 because she did not bear a very good character4 ,mrs4 ,hollis did not much like having her about1 but1 as ,grace said1 one or other of them always had an eye upon her1 and she was only there for a couple of hours in the morning4 ,it was lucky kettles could boil themselves1 or there might not even have been tea1 and as to going to ,mrs4 ,somers's working parties1 ,grace declared it to be impossible4 ,i've got something else to do1 she said1 decidedly4 ,the lady can't expect me to stand in my own light4 ,and when she saw ,jessie on ,friday evening put away her work and fetch her hat and books1 she cried out against such idling1 and said it must be given up4 ,no1 said ,jessie4 ,i can't give up my ,church and my preparation with ,miss ,manners4 ,nonsense6 ,you see ,i've given up my working party4 ,yes2 but ,i can't give up mine1 said ,jessie4 ,oh1 ,grace1 we thought so much about trying to do what we could4 ,and so ,i am6 said ,grace4 ,no one can say ,i am not doing my duty to my family1 and that's better than throwing away my time on a lot of beggarly folk that don't deserve nothing4 ,and you ought to know better1 ,jessie4 ,i must have my lesson prepared1 said she in return4 ,as if you couldn't teach that there ,bell girl without going to read with ,miss ,manners first6 ,you'll never have those handkerchiefs done6 ,i did two letters extra this morning1 said ,jessie4 ,ah1 that's very fine1 but if you get one of your headaches---- ,the sound of that word alarmed ,mrs4 ,hollis4 ,jessie had had a bad illness about a year ago1 and the mother could not part with her anxiety about her4 ,in she came1 with the tea-cup she was washing in her hand4 ,has ,jessie got a headache8 she inquired4 ,oh no1 mother1 thank you4 ,grace is only putting a case4 ,yes2 ,i am asking her what she thinks will become of the work if she is to go and take her pleasure whenever she likes4 ,she talks of working extra2 but supposing she had a headache1 she'd be sorry she had thrown away her time4 ,dear1 dear1 said ,mrs4 ,hollis2 'tis the very way to make her have a headache to keep her poor nose to the grindstone4 ,the doctor1 he says to me1 ',she've had a shock1 and she'll require care1 and not to be overstrained4' ,and ,i tell you1 ,grace1 ,i won't have ,jessie put upon1 and kept muzzing over her needle like a blackamoor slave1 without a taste of fresh air4 ,so run away1 ,jessie1 and get your walk4 ,thank you1 mother4 ,and ,jessie1 who did not feel bound to obey her sister1 ran lightly off1 hoping poor mother would not be very fiercely talked at by ,grace4 ,she herself was clear that work undertaken for ,god's sake should not be dropped when one's own gain began to clash with it2 while ,grace1 who had always been held up as the model1 helpful good daughter1 plainly thought1 working for one's family1 and securing something extra1 was such a reason as to make it a sort of duty to throw over all she had taken up under the spur of that sermon in the spring4 ,jessie had no headache1 but she was weary1 vexed1 and teased1 and ,stitch1 stitch1 stitch1 ,seam and gusset and band1 rang in her ears1 so that she specially felt rested and soothed by the calm and quiet of ,miss ,manners's pretty room1 with the open windows and the scent of flowers coming in from the garden4 ,the subject was next ,sunday's ,gospel1 about the ,great ,supper and the excuse-making guests4 ,miss ,manners read out part of ,archbishop ,trench's comment on the ,parable before she talked to the teachers about what they were to say to their classes2 and ,jessie felt deeply that to let herself be engrossed by this undertaking1 so as to allow no time for her religious duties1 would be only too like the guests who went one to his farm1 and another to his merchandise4 ,she was advised to make it a lesson to her class against false or insufficient excuses1 such as saying they were late at school because mother wanted them to take a message1 when they had dawdled all the way instead of hastening to school4 ,miss ,manners lent the volume of ,miss ,edgeworth's ,rosamond to ,jessie1 to read the chapter on ,excuses to her girls1 so as to bring home the lesson1 though she was to carry it higher1 and put them in mind that if they put their duties aside for these little things now1 they would be learning to forget their ,heavenly ,master for earthly matters1 and would never taste of ,his supper4 ,it made ,jessie doubly and trebly determined that she would not take a lie-a-bed on ,sunday morning to make up for loss of rest before1 and thus miss the early ,celebration on her monthly ,sunday4 ,indeed1 she felt drawn to come oftener1 if it would not be presuming4 ,she came home from ,church in the summer twilight1 when even ,grace could not work1 and was standing a moment at the door before lighting the lamp4 ,well1 miss1 ,i hope you have wasted enough daylight1 she said4 ,i hope it wasn't quite wasted1 said ,jessie1 cheerfully4 ,i shall work ever so much quicker for the rest ,i have had4 ,and she was as good as her word1 and spent an hour in her pleasant embroidery of the pretty white letters of the name which she really delighted in doing1 only she would have liked a fresh pattern instead of making all the seventy-two ,ninas exactly alike4 ,she was at work before half-past six the next day1 and had three more letters done before it was time to go to ,miss ,lee's1 where it was a busy day of finishing work2 and when at three o'clock the last stitch was put to the dress that had been made out of ,mrs4 ,drew's cambric1 ,miss ,lee asked ,jessie to carry it home1 suspecting that the walk would be good for her4 ,it was rather hot1 but ,jessie did enjoy the lanes1 with their flowery banks1 and the sweet smells of the hay1 and she felt much brightened and refreshed4 ,when she came near the house1 she saw some one sitting in a basket-chair in the porch1 and knew that it was ,miss ,needwood1 a poor1 sickly orphan relation of ,mrs4 ,drew's1 who was always trying situations as nursery governess1 or reader1 or the like1 and leaving them because her health would not serve2 and then she had no home to go to but ,chalk-pit ,farm4 ,she was not so much above the ,hollises as the farmer's own family1 and was always friendly with them4 ,she came to meet ,jessie1 shook hands with her1 and explained that ,mrs4 ,drew had been summoned to speak about some poultry1 but would return in a moment if ,miss ,hollis would sit down4 ,are you stopping here for long8 asked ,jessie4 ,i don't know1 said the poor girl1 sadly2 ,i hoped ,i was settled in a nice situation2 but my asthma was bad there1 and the lady found it out1 and it made her nervous1 so here ,i am again4 ,mr4 ,drew1 he is kind1 and says ,i may make myself useful with teaching the children2 but oh1 dear6 ,i don't know enough for that4 ,i thought you had gone out for a nursery governess4 ,yes--the tears came in her eyes2--but ,i'll never try again4 ,the elder young ladies made game of my ,french1 and said ,i didn't spell as well as the little nursery girl4 ,and it was true1 ,miss ,hollis4 ,i tried being a sewing-maid last1 though ,mrs4 ,drew didn't want folk to know it2 but1 you see1 ,i hadn't health for that4 ,they are very good here1 and will keep me2 but ,i am nothing but a burthen4 ,if ,i could but hear of something to do--if only to keep me in clothes4 ,i can do fancy-work1 if ,i could get any4 ,can you embroider8 asked ,jessie4 ,miss ,needwood took out her pocket-handkerchief1 where her initials1 ,h4 ,n41 were beautifully worked4 ,jessie had admired her own work1 but this was much better4 ,it was just such an ,n as she wanted1 and she exclaimed-- ,if you would be so kind as to lend me one of those for a pattern1 ,i should be so much obliged4 ,do you embroider8 asked ,miss ,needwood4 ,i wish you could tell me if there is any shop at ,ellerby or ,carchester that would employ me2 ,i should be so much happier4 ,here ,mrs4 ,drew came back1 and looked over the dress which was to be sent to her daughter at her boarding-school1 and thanked ,jessie1 and gave her the money for ,miss ,lee4 ,miss ,needwood had fetched the handkerchief1 and ,jessie took leave and walked home1 thinking over what shops might possibly employ the poor girl4 ,what a pity she had not those handkerchiefs to do1 and why should she not do some of them8 ,oh1 ,grace would never consent4 ,besides1 ,jessie had spent her #dl4 #afs4 in fancy already on the ,offertory1 savings bank1 a present for mother1 a pair of spectacles for old ,dame ,wall1 a pretty new dress and hat for herself4 ,oh no1 she must work on2 it was such pretty work1 and ,grace would scorn her so if she gave up any part of it4 ,jessie came home to find ,mrs4 ,hollis in all the hard work and worry of a ,saturday evening1 alone in the shop1 with people waiting and getting cross4 ,she had to hasten behind the counter and help as fast as she could4 ,it was well that the ,lees had given her a cup of tea when she brought in the money1 for there was no quiet for more than an hour1 and then the fire was found to have gone out while ,grace was putting in gathers4 ,moreover1 ,jessie saw1 with dismay1 that the beefsteak-pie1 which was to serve for the morrow1 was not even made4 ,oh1 ,i'll do that to-morrow morning1 said ,grace4 ,and when ,jessie proceeded to tack in her clean collar and cuffs1 ,grace called out1 raising her hot face from her work1 that they might be pinned in on ,sunday morning2 it was only waste of time to do so now4 ,i don't think that is using ,sunday quite well1 said ,jessie4 ,well1 ,i never heard there was any harm in sticking in a pin of a ,sunday6 ,come1 sit down1 do1 and don't keep fiddling about4 ,you'll be behind with those handkerchiefs4 ,here1 mother1 you can finish this seam before dark4 ,the place is in such a caddle1 said poor ,mrs4 ,hollis1 looking ruefully round at her kitchen1 which certainly did not wear at all its usual ,saturday evening's aspect4 ,that ,jenny ,simkins1 she do so stabble in and out1 she only wants some one to clean after her4 ,oh1 well1 ,i'll see to that1 said ,grace1 when it gets too dark for work4 ,one must put up with a little for such a chance as this4 ,jessie felt that her poor mother was putting up with more than a little1 as she saw her sit down with a sigh and try to thread her needle by the window4 ,jessie went across and did it for her1 and put back the muslin blind so as to let in more light2 then sat down to finish the na of her sixth ,nina1 rather wearily1 and with an uncomfortable thought that ,miss ,needwood's satin-stitch looked better than her own4 ,little n was done before the twilight tidying1 which did not amount to much1 for ,grace soon lighted the lamp2 but ,jessie1 in putting up the shop shutters1 made the arm1 which had once been crushed1 tremble so much that she could not work without pricking her finger1 and ,mrs4 ,hollis really could not see4 ,so ,grace let them both go to bed1 and ,jessie half waked to hear her bustling about1 and coming up herself just after the clock struck twelve4 ,she would not have set a stitch on any account after that6 ,jessie was up early enough to light the fire1 and set out the breakfast things1 and put on the kettle1 while both her mother and ,grace were still in bed4 ,she had a peaceful1 happy time then1 but otherwise she had never known such an uncomfortable ,sunday4 ,mrs4 ,hollis was down when she came back1 but was fretting over the very large bit that had gone out of the cheese4 ,jessie thought they had eaten it for want of meat2 her mother suspected ,jenny ,simkins4 ,then she had not been allowed time to copy out her accounts into the book1 and there had been a great puzzle between a three and a five on the slate last night1 which seemed to have been worrying her all night in her dreams2 and the uncleaned look of the house vexed her4 ,she was tired and not like herself1 and ,jessie only left her for school and church on hearing ,grace's step on the stairs4 ,at school she could forget all about it in the interest of teaching1 but the worry returned when her mother's place was empty at the beginning of the service2 and when ,mrs4 ,hollis did come posting in at the end of the ,venite1 she was so hot and panting that she had to sit down and fan herself with her pocket-handkerchief all through the ,psalms1 and ,jessie even feared she might be going to faint4 ,oh dear1 ,mrs4 ,hollis mourned1 when they came out of church1 she had never been so upset before1 but she had been so put about to get off1 with none of her things ready1 and she was that tired and sleepy she had not heard a word of the sermon4 ,grace really had undertaken too much4 ,the house was in such a mess there was no sitting down quiet and respectable1 and there was threepence in the till that would not be accounted for1 and she was sure that the cheese was going too fast4 ,she fretted all the way home1 and ,jessie could not comfort her1 by promising to look over the accounts the first thing on ,monday4 ,however1 on coming home they found the whole house tidied1 dinner laid1 the pie made and just ready to come out of the ,dutch oven1 and the accounts balanced and written out fairly4 ,grace was just finishing the arraying herself in full ,sunday trim outside1 but how was it with the inner ,sunday raiment of her heart8 ,she did nothing but talk about seam and gusset and band1 and how fast she was getting on1 and how good the linen was1 and what sort was the best1 till ,jessie thought she might almost as well have been sewing all day as with her thoughts running on nothing else4 ,when ,jessie went to afternoon school1 both ,mrs4 ,hollis and ,grace were so tired that the one went to sleep in her chair1 and the other on her bed2 and thus ,jessie found them on her return4 ,poor mother6 how weary and worn her face looked after this week of worry4 ,the sight of it settled ,jessie's mind4 ,she went up softly to take off her things1 and as she was doing so1 ,grace awoke4 ,jessie went up to her and showed her ,miss ,needwood's cipher4 ,bless me6 whose is that8 ,it is real genteel1 said ,grace4 ,it is ,miss ,needwood's at ,chalk-pit ,farm4 ,what6 that poor helpless thing that never can keep a situation6 ,did you get it for a pattern1 ,jessie8 ,yes1 said ,jessie2 she lent it to me4 ,it is beautiful1 said ,grace1 examining it minutely4 ,you ought to work like that1 ,jessie4 ,i would if ,i could1 said ,jessie1 and ,i mean to try2 but1 ,grace1 ,i shall only finish this first dozen4 ,i shall send the other five dozen to ,bessie ,needwood4 ,she is in great want of work1 and will do them much better than ,i4 ,well ,i never6 cried ,grace4 ,i never thought you'd turn lazy1 and give up what you had undertaken--when ,i had asked for the handkerchiefs on purpose for you1 because ,i thought a little pocket money would come in convenient6 ,so it would4 ,it was very kind of you1 ,grace2 but ,miss ,needwood will do them better than ,i4 ,not than you if you chose to take the pains and trouble4 ,no1 said ,jessie1 if ,i don't hurry them too quick to try to do those finest stitches1 ,i sha'n't have time to do them at all1 in these after hours of mine4 ,well1 that you should choose to confess yourself not able to do as well as a poor dozing thing like that6 ,it's all laziness4 ,no1 that it is not1 said ,jessie1 rather hotly4 ,i thought if those were off my hands ,i could help you1 and then mother need not have any of this work to do1 or be so driven and put about4 ,you don't expect to be paid for any part of mother's work1 said ,grace1 with some sharpness4 ,i've got my own use for that in the business4 ,no1 ,i don't6 and ,jessie went suddenly off in a little bit of temper for which she was sorry afterwards1 wishing she had said that her real reason--besides the helping ,miss ,needwood--was the hope to save her mother from being over driven1 and not to have another ,sunday so cumbered with worldly matters4 ,grace came down to tea grumbling1 and appealing to her mother about ,jessie's laziness2 and ,mrs4 ,hollis1 for whose sake the girl had resigned five-sixths of her hoped-for gain1 was inclined to be vexed at any of the work going out of the family1 or her ,jessie allowing herself to be beaten4 ,it was very vexatious1 and ,jessie was glad when ,uncle ,andrew dropped in to tea1 and to change the current of their thoughts4 ,she was to stay at home to guard the house while the others went to evensong1 and this gave her the quiet opportunity of packing up five dozen handkerchiefs1 and writing a note to send with them to ,bessie ,needwood the first thing in the morning1 by any child who came early to the shop4 ,then she felt much more at ease1 and was able to have a comfortable study of her next ,sunday's ,gospel and its references1 in case she should be too busy on the week days2 and so she was peaceful and refreshed1 and able to enjoy a quiet little wander in the twilight garden with her hymn-book4 ,this lasted till the others came home1 brim full of reports they had picked up about the splendour of the coming wedding4 ,the gentleman1 ,mr4 ,holdaway1 was staying at ,newcorn ,park1 and1 what was more1 he had sent his horses and grooms down to the ,manners ,arms1 because the stables at the ,chequers were not well kept4 ,the head groom had actually been at ,church1 and looked quite the gentleman1 though to be sure he did stare about wonderfully4 ,mrs4 ,hollis shook her head1 and said no good came of that sort of folk4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,wandering ,,eyes4 ,i ,,assure you he said he had never seen a place with more pretty young ladies in it4 ,who8 said ,jessie1 coming suddenly into the light closet of the work-room1 where ,florence ,cray was taking off her hat1 and ,amy ,lee seemed to be helping her4 ,why1 ,mr4 ,wingfield1 ,mr4 ,holdaway's head groom1 who has come over with another man and a boy1 and three of the loveliest horses you ever did see4 ,oh1 yes1 ,i heard1 said ,jessie2 and how he stared about at ,church6 ,he ought to be ashamed of himself4 ,oh6 that's what ,grace says1 of course1 said ,florence2 and she's a regular old maid4 ,she needn't fear that he'll stare at her4 ,wherewith both ,florence and ,amy giggled1 and before ,jessie's hot answer was out of her mouth1 one of the aunts called out-- ,girls1 girls1 what are you doing8 ,no gossiping there4 ,florence came out looking cross1 and observing in a marked manner that ,miss ,fuller1 at ,ellerby1 always spoke of her young ladies4 ,i like using right names1 said ,aunt ,rose in her decided voice4 ,florence was silenced for the time1 but at the dinner hour she contrived to get ,amy alone4 ,jessie was in haste to get home to see if there were an answer from ,miss ,needwood1 and also to try to get enough sewing done to pacify ,grace1 and purchase a little leisure for her mother4 ,and ,florence1 instead of going home1 stood with ,amy1 who had sauntered into the garden to refresh herself and gather some parsley4 ,i assure you1 ,amy1 he was quite struck4 ,he said yours was such a style that he would hardly believe me when ,i said you belonged to ,mr4 ,lee1 the baker4 ,it was the refinement1 he said4 ,nonsense1 ,florence2 don't1 said ,amy1 blushing as crimson as the rose she tried to gather4 ,i'm not talking nonsense2 ,i never did see a poor man so smitten4 ,now1 ,florence1 you shouldn't say such things2 father and aunts would not like it4 ,i shall go in4 ,fathers and aunts are all alike2 they never do like such things4 ,but---- ,however1 ,amy was safe indoors by this time1 all in a glow1 very much ashamed that such things should have been said to her1 and yet not a little fluttered and pleased4 ,she had been most carefully brought up and watched over1 and she had come to the age of sixteen without hearing more about herself than that a young lady1 who once came into the school with ,miss ,agnes ,manners1 said something that sounded like lovely1 and was speedily hushed up and silenced4 ,all the other girls thought the young lady meant ,henrietta ,coles1 who was tall1 with bright dark eyes1 red cheeks1 and black hair1 under a round comb2 but ,amy had always been sure that the speaker's eyes were upon her1 though she had been ashamed of the belief1 and indeed had nearly forgotten all about it1 till it was stirred up by ,florence's talk4 ,she went up to her room to smooth her hair before dinner4 ,yes1 it was very nice light-brown hair1 with a golden shine2 and her eyes were very clear and blue1 and her skin very white1 with a rosy flush2 and her nose was straight1 and the shape was a pretty delicate one4 ,amy really did think ,mr4 ,wingfield was right1 and had better taste than the people who thought her a poor washy1 peaky thing1 as she had more than once heard herself called4 ,she put her head on one side1 smirked a little1 half shut her eyes1 and studied herself in different positions1 till she heard one of her aunts on the stairs2 and then1 in a desperate fright lest she should be caught1 she darted out so fast as to run against ,aunt ,charlotte coming up stairs with a basket of clean linen from the wash4 ,there were three pairs of stockings rolled up on the top1 and these tumbled out1 and one pair went hop1 hop1 from step to step all the way down stairs1 just as ,father was coming in1 and he caught it up and threw it like a ball straight up at his sister4 ,the confusion drove the nonsense out of ,amy's head for the present4 ,she ate her dinner1 and then went off as usual for her visit to little ,edwin ,smithers1 carrying him only a few strawberries1 as she knew he always had soup from the ,hall on a ,monday4 ,for ,edwin had not died4 ,he had rather grown better than worse1 and if the truth must be told1 ,amy had begun to get a little tired of him4 ,he was not a quick child1 and in this hot weather he often failed to do the sums or learn the verses that ,amy set him4 ,to-day he was nursing a great piece of stick-liquorice with which he had painted a dirty spot on the central face in the picture of the number of the ,chatterbox which she had lent him4 ,she scolded him for it1 and he turned sulky1 and would not try to repeat his hymn1 nor answer any questions1 and looked at his book as if he had never seen one before4 ,amy grew angry1 told him he was a naughty boy1 and she should not stay with him nor give him any strawberries2 and off she went1 carrying away the injured ,chatterbox1 and never bethinking herself that the hot day and the weariness of the dull untidy room might not be the cause of the naughty fit1 and whether it would not have been kinder and better to try to soothe him out of it4 ,but instead of this she paused to hear ,mrs4 ,rowe declare he was a bad 'un1 with a nasty sulky temper that no one could do nothing with1 and just then she saw ,florence ,cray crossing the village green4 ,i've just been to get a little red pepper at ,hollis's1 she said1 as she put her arm fondly into ,amy's4 ,mr4 ,wingfield do like something tasty for his breakfast1 and ma is going to do him some devilled kidneys to-morrow morning4 ,he is quite the gentleman in all his tastes1 you see6 ,i wanted ,jessie to walk back with me1 but they are all so terrible busy over that there wedding order1 that she could not come till the last minute4 ,working all through the dinner hour6 said ,amy4 ,what a shame6 ,so ,i say4 ,but that ,grace ,hollis is a one6 ,i wouldn't have her for my sister4 ,here1 come in1 ,amy1 ,i must just give mother the pepper4 ,no1 ,i can't do that1 said ,amy1 uneasily1 for she knew her father would be displeased if she went into a public-house2 though as ,florence said1 ,gracious6 ,you needn't go near the bar4 ,it's only the back door6 ,as if ,i would ask you to do anything you ought not6 ,but ,i suppose our house ain't good enough for you4 ,oh6 don't be angry1 ,florence dear1 ,i'll come some day when ,i've got leave4 ,leave indeed1 at your age2 but you're a poor-spirited thing1 ,amy1 to be so kept down by a couple of old aunts4 ,amy was flurried at the displeasure1 and wanted to make it up4 ,oh6 don't be offended1 ,florence4 ,look here4 ,strawberries6 oh my6 already6 ,thank you1 and ,florence had soon swallowed up poor little ,edwin's strawberries4 ,wait here one moment then1 she said1 and ,i'll be back with you in an instant4 ,amy stood under her parasol1 trying to make the most of the small shelter afforded by ,mr4 ,cray's garden hedge1 and recollecting rather uncomfortably something she had once been told about the loitering of the disobedient ,prophet being what brought him into temptation4 ,but1 having promised to wait1 she could not move away1 though she had to stay longer than she liked1 especially as the children were going by to afternoon school1 and some of her own class began to stare at her4 ,however1 at last ,florence came out1 quite excited4 ,oh1 ,amy1 if you'll only wait a minute1 you'll see him come out4 ,i can't6 ,i can't6 ,let us go1 cried ,amy1 quite shocked and shy4 ,nonsense6 ,poor man1 he need never see you4 ,he is just going to take the horses up for his master to ride out with ,miss ,robson4 ,such sweet horses6 ,mr4 ,holdaway gave #abj guineas for his4 ,think of that1 ,amy6 ,here now1 come round the corner of the hedge1 and he'll never see you4 ,so ,amy followed and peeped1 very shy and frightened1 like a guilty thing1 and she did see two horses1 much more beautiful than she knew1 one ridden by a common-looking groom1 the other by a very smart1 well set-up person1 with a belt round his waist4 ,that was all she saw1 for they were gone in a flash1 and she was too uncomfortable to see much1 or to do more than hurriedly answer ,florence's exclamation-- ,ain't he quite the gentleman8 ,bain't his horses real darlings8 before ,jessie's voice was heard-- ,why1 whatever are you two doing here8 ,the two girls both giggled1 and each pushed the other to make her tell1 and ,florence laughed out-- ,oh1 'twas ,amy wanted to see ,mr4 ,wingfield pass by4 ,no1 'twasn't4 ',twas you1 said ,amy4 ,i don't see why you should get into a corner about it1 said ,jessie1 rather gravely4 ,i've just met him straight upon the road1 horses and all4 ,o yes1 you6 said ,florence4 ,well1 why not me8 ,o1 you know1 you'll soon be an old maid like your sister4 ,jessie had not grown so wise as not to be nettled at this silly impertinent speech1 but she was much more vexed to see that ,florence was teaching ,amy her own follies--,amy1 who had always seemed like a pure little innocent wild rose-bud in its modest green leaves4 ,so she answered1 rather shortly-- ,if you mean that ,i don't want to be right down ridiculous1 ,i hope ,i am an old maid4 ,this seemed to be very funny1 for ,florence went off in fits of laughing1 and kept shouldering ,amy to make her see the joke1 but ,amy had by this time grown ashamed and frightened and only answered1 ,don't4 ,so the three girls went in together1 and no one took any special notice of ,amy's hot face and uncomfortable gestures4 ,it was the first time since she had been a very little child that she had shrunk from her aunts' eyes1 or feared that they should ask her questions2 and the sense that she had been undeserving of the trust they placed in her made her very ill at ease1 though the silly girl did not do the only thing that would have set her right again1 and made her safer for the future4 ,jessie meanwhile had forgotten the little vexation4 ,she had something to brighten her up in ,miss ,needwood's little note4 ,it was written on pink paper1 edged with blue1 as if nothing could be too good for ,jessie2 and it said no words could tell how glad she was1 and what a comfort it was to have this real work to do4 ,it is really like a ray of hope in the darkness1 said poor ,bessie1 in her little thin weak writing1 with a very hard steel pen4 ,but that note warmed up ,jessie's heart1 although her finger was getting severely ploughed up with the stitching she had been doing to save her mother's eyes4 ,there was not to be an inch of machine work1 ,mrs4 ,robson had said1 and the ,hollises were people who fulfilled all they undertook4 ,but ,jessie's hour at home had helped and freshened her mother1 who looked much less worn and worried than she had done the day before4 ,jessie felt she had done well to send away the handkerchiefs1 and lessen the burthen ,grace had taken upon the family4 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,amy',s ,,visits4 ,,nobody could say any great harm of ,florence ,cray1 or she would not have been bound to ,miss ,lee4 ,but she was one of those silly1 vulgar-minded girls who think life is nothing without continually chattering either to young men or about them4 ,she was in no hurry to be married1 for then she knew she must give up all her lively pastime with the lads around her4 ,not that she frequented the bar1 or had anything to do with the customers--her mother kept her carefully from that2 but she had plenty of acquaintance1 and to her mind nothing else was so amusing4 ,she was not pretty1 and knew it well enough1 but she was very good-natured1 and free from jealousy1 and next to diverting herself with some youth1 she liked nothing so well as teasing other girls about them4 ,she considered ,amy ,lee quite old enough and pretty enough to have a young man1 and to begin to have some fun1 and she thought all the care taken of the girl by her father and aunts only so much stupid old fidget and jealousy1 which it was fun to baffle and elude4 ,thus she was a very dangerous companion for ,amy1 perhaps more so than a really worse person1 who would have been more shocking and startling to ,amy's sense of modesty and propriety4 ,it was such a new sensation altogether to be always popping about and peeping to admire the handsome stranger and his fine horses1 and then to whisk giggling out of the way1 in terror lest they had been seen4 ,it was more amusing than sitting by a fretful boy1 trying to make him read and say hymns1 and though conscience was half awake1 it was easily satisfied4 ,and then there was the pleasure of being told that she was admired--though ,amy would not have liked it as well if she had guessed that ,florence used to amuse herself on the other hand by telling ,mr4 ,wingfield how a certain young lady admired him1 and teasing him by declaring that1 ,oh no6 she could not tell him who1 she should be nameless4 ,did he like best fair or dark8 ,so time went on1 and the needlework with it4 ,grace ,hollis's whole brain seemed to be turning into thread and cotton1 for she was able to think of nothing else except what she should do with the money1 when she got it2 but she did not scold ,jessie1 as she had been inclined to do at first1 for giving up the handkerchiefs1 for she had begun to find that without her sister's help there would have been no chance of finishing1 without overworking her mother1 and neglecting the business of the shop4 ,indeed1 as it was1 when the last week came there was so much still to be done that she was obliged to ask ,miss ,needwood to come and help1 which she was very glad to do1 when she had finished the handkerchiefs most delicately and beautifully4 ,jessie gave all the time she could4 ,she was glad to have something to think about1 for ,miss ,manners was from home1 so there were no readings before the ,sundays2 and her sharp eyes could not help seeing that there was something underhand going on between ,amy and ,florence--where she did not know whether to interfere or not4 ,she had seen ,amy and ,florence come hastily round the corner of the lane1 which had a stile into a large shady path field at the back of ,mrs4 ,smithers's cottage1 and ,mr4 ,wingfield hovering about4 ,it did not look well--and indeed what she would have thought nothing of in such a girl as ,florence was a very different thing in ,amy4 ,then stories that she disliked were afloat about the man4 ,he was said to be teaching the young men at the ,manners ,arms new gambling games1 and to be putting them up to bet on race-horses2 and once she heard a very unpleasant laugh about very good1 closely-kept girls being as ready to carry on as other folk4 ,once when she asked ,amy after little ,edwin ,smithers1 the answer was rather cross4 ,oh6 just as usual4 ,he is the most tiresome fractious child ,i ever saw6 ,children are often like that when they are going to be worse1 said ,jessie4 ,well1 returned ,amy1 ,i've always heard that children are most fretty and fussy when they are getting better4 ,then ,i hope he is better4 ,o dear yes1 of course he is1 or he would not be here now1 said ,amy1 impatiently1 and getting very red4 ,how does he get on with his reading8 ,there never was such a one for questions as you1 ,jessie6 cried ,amy1 getting quite cross4 ,and as ,jessie knew curiosity to be her failing1 and was really trying to break herself of it1 she was silenced4 ,no doubt ,amy was angered because her conscience was very far from being easy1 though she never failed to pop into the ,smithers's cottage every day1 sometimes to bring the little dainties her aunts provided1 sometimes to say a few words and begin a lesson with ,edwin2 but her heart was not in it1 the boy would seldom attend1 and often turned away his face and said ,no1 or began to cry2 whereupon ,amy told him he was very naughty1 and marched off1 excusing herself by the fact that the girl ,polly was generally in the house1 and seemed to be attending to him much better than she used to do4 ,no wonder ,amy was in a hurry1 for ,florence was waiting for her outside2 and by and by not only ,florence4 ,it began one windy day when ,amy's sunshade flew out of her hand4 ,she ran after it1 as it went dancing along on its spokes over the village green1 jumping up just as she neared it1 and whisking off just as if it had been alive1 or like one of those gay butterflies and birds in allegories that lure the little pilgrims out of the narrow path4 ,alas6 it was only too much like such a deluder4 ,for some one came round the corner1 caught the wild sunshade1 and restored it to the owner4 ,she was tittering and breathless1 she blushed all over1 and never raised her eyes while ,mr4 ,wingfield hoped1 in elegant language1 that she had not fatigued herself1 and paid a flattering compliment to the lovely colour with which exercise had suffused her complexion4 ,this made her giggle and blush all the more4 ,she did not know whether she liked it or not1 poor silly child6 ,she often wished he would not2 she was in a dreadful fright whenever it happened1 and yet the day seemed flat and tiresome and not worth having when he had not joined her and ,florence1 and walked down the path below ,hornbeam ,wood1 behind ,mrs4 ,smithers's cottage1 with them4 ,he never said or did anything to startle her4 ,he saw she was a modest1 well-behaved girl1 and he knew how to treat such a one4 ,he talked chiefly about the preparations for the wedding1 or made the two simple country girls stare by wonderful stories of the horses he had ridden and driven1 or by descriptions of the parks and the theatre4 ,now and then he was complimentary1 but ,florence told ,amy much more of his admiration than she ever heard herself4 ,as to letting her father or aunts know of the acquaintance1 ,amy was half afraid1 half ashamed4 ,one day she heard a talk between her father and ,mr4 ,nowell1 the gardener at the ,hall1 who was vexed about an under gardener4 ,i shall have to speak to the ,squire about him1 ,i am afraid1 said ,mr4 ,nowell2 he don't do his work with half a heart1 and instead of spending his evenings at the club1 or at cricket--wholesome and hearty like--he is always down at ,cray's4 ,i hear1 said ,mr4 ,lee1 the club was never so badly attended4 ,they say it is all along of that there smart groom1 ,wingfield1 as they call him1 who is all for gambling games1 and putting up our young lads to betting tricks and the like4 ,ay1 ay1 said ,mr4 ,lee1 one of them idle1 good-for-nothing servants loafing about at a public will do more harm in a place than you can undo in a day4 ,that's true1 added ,aunt ,rose2 ,i can't bear the sight of the fellow lounging about with his little stick1 as if he was saying to all the place1 ',here ,i am2 it's just improvement to you all to see how ,i switch my legs4' ,and he stares so6 added ,aunt ,charlotte4 ,last time ,amy and ,i met him on the road1 ,i really thought he would have stared the poor child out of countenance4 ,i had a great mind to have spoken to him1 and told him to mind his manners4 ,you are too young and too good-looking to do that sort of thing1 ,charlotte1 said her brother1 laughing4 ,may be 'twas your aunt he looked at1 so you needn't go as red as a turkey-cock1 ,amy girl4 ,me1 indeed6 said ,charlotte1 in hot indignation4 ,i should hope ,i was past being stared at by a whipper-snapper monkey like that4 ,the elders all laughed heartily1 and ,mr4 ,nowell said something about ,miss ,charlotte being a fine woman of her time of life1 which made her still more angry1 and set her brother and sister laughing the more4 ,amy squeezed out a weak little giggle1 but she was both angered and frightened4 ,she could never tell her aunts now4 ,what would they say8 ,the time of the wedding was drawing on2 ,mr4 ,wingfield would be going4 ,little flutters moved her breast4 ,would he say any more before he went1 or did she wish it8 ,florence said he was dying for her4 ,florence thought he was a gentleman in disguise1 like one she had read about in a novel2 but ,amy1 though she liked to dream of something sweet and grand years hence1 did not want to be startled by love-making now1 or to have the dreadful disturbance at home there would be if this were more than a summer acquaintance4 ,how would the aunts look1 when they found she had concealed all this--she who had never hidden anything from them before8 ,and yet she took the stolen pleasure in trembling every day1 and tried to believe ,florence when she said there was no harm in it1 that every one did so1 and that young people must be young6 ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,awkward ,,meetings4 ,,well1 to be sure1 who would have thought of such a treat6 ,this is a pleasure indeed6 ,rose1 ,rose1 whom do you think we have here8 ,how natural it all do look to be sure4 ,there1 ,ambrose1 there's the very rose tree ,i have so often told you of4 ,why1 mother has described it all so well1 ,i could have found my way blindfold4 ,the speaker was a tall1 fair-faced young man1 looking1 in ,charlotte ,lee's eyes1 like one of the young gentlemen from the university1 but with something grave and deep about his face1 and by him stood his little mother in the neatest of black silk dresses1 with something sweet and childlike about her face still1 though there were some middle-aged lines in it4 ,she had once been the ,amy ,lee of ,langley4 ,she had married a schoolmaster1 ,mr4 ,cuthbert1 and this was their only son4 ,he had distinguished himself in all his examinations1 and at the same time had shown so deep an interest in missions to the heathen1 and had done so much to make the boys of the school care for them1 that when there was a question of choosing a lad as a missionary student1 whose expenses would be paid by subscriptions of the clergy in the diocese1 at the great college of ,st4 ,augustine's at ,canterbury1 the vicar of his parish had three years ago proposed ,ambrose ,cuthbert as the fittest youth he knew4 ,he had just finished his terms at the college1 and was on his way home before going out to ,rupertsland1 having met his mother at the house of his father's brother in ,london4 ,they had found out that an excursion train would enable them to run down to ,langley and spend a few hours there2 and ,mrs4 ,cuthbert1 who had always said her son must not leave ,england without having seen her old home1 her brother and sisters1 was delighted with the opportunity1 and here they were1 the brother and the three sisters all together1 hardly knowing what they said in their eager joy4 ,and my little ,amy1 where is she8 ,you have not seen your namesake1 ,amy1 said the father1 who had come in bare armed and floury4 ,she is not come back yet from poor little ,teddy's1 said ,aunt ,rose4 ,the child goes to teach1 and see to1 a poor little sick lad in a cottage every day1 ,amy4 ,we like her to do such things1 she added1 pleased that her sister should see that their child was likewise something superior in goodness4 ,ah6 is it you1 ,jessie8 ,this is ,clemmy ,fielding's daughter1 ,amy4 ,did you see our ,amy as you came along1 ,jessie8 ,i will run back and call her1 said ,jessie1 who had seen the top of ,amy's sunshade over the hedge1 and in good-natured sympathy wanted to spare all the shock of discovery4 ,no1 no1 said ,miss ,rose1 thank you all the same1 ,jessie1 but if you would not mind sitting down to the machine1 ,i would walk out that way with my sister1 just while my brother is finishing his batch of bread1 and you are getting ready a bit of something to eat1 ,charlotte4 ,i know1 ,amy1 you would like just to look round the hill1 and see where the squire's new cottages lie4 ,wouldn't you8 ,jessie saw there was no help for it4 ,mrs4 ,cuthbert was delighted to go and to show her son her old haunts2 but first she spoke very kindly to ,jessie1 and inquired for her mother1 saying she remembered her well2 and on her side ,jessie recollected that her mother always said she owed more to ,mrs4 ,cuthbert's kindness when she was a little girl than to any one else4 ,so off set the two elder sisters and the pleasant looking young man together4 ,amy always was late1 and ,jessie felt one hope1 that they might meet the two girls coming in together4 ,yet1 as she whirred her machine1 she reflected that after all it might be best for ,amy in the end that all this folly and concealment should be put a stop to4 ,out they went1 talking2 ,mrs4 ,cuthbert asking questions1 and pointing everything out to her son1 and ,aunt ,rose delighted to answer4 ,we do not hurry the maid1 said ,aunt ,rose1 as they drew near4 ,you see it is such a blessing to that poor little afflicted child to have her with him4 ,perhaps ,rose ,lee1 who had had her dreams and fancies like other people1 was thinking of the tales where some one looks in at the window and sees the good young person bending over the sufferer's couch1 and reading good books to him2 but it was certainly not ,amy whom she saw as the door stood open4 ,there was the little boy on the old couch under the window1 moaning a little1 but it was his sister who was standing by him with a cup of something1 coaxing him with ,now ,teddy1 do be a good boy1 and drink it1 do'ee now4 ,why1 ,polly1 said ,aunt ,rose1 are you here8 ,please1 ,miss ,lee1 said ,polly1 in a high squeaky voice of self-defence1 ,our ,ted is so bad1 ,i couldn't go to school1 not this afternoon4 ,and where's ,miss ,amy8 ,not gone for the doctor8 asked ,rose1 seeing indeed that the poor child looked very ill4 ,no1 miss1 said ,polly4 ,teacher ,amy don't come now for more than a minute4 ,where is she then8 asked ,rose1 to whom the world seemed whirling round2 while ,ambrose ,cuthbert stood at the door1 and his mother was feeling the poor child's hands1 and looking with dismay at the grease gathering on the half cold broth with which his sister had been trying to feed him4 ,but ,polly's answer was quite ready--,down the mead along with that there ,wingfield and ,cray's gal4 ,who8 asked ,rose1 severely1 for the girl's tone had that sort of pert simplicity1 or simple pertness1 that children can put on when they know they are giving unpleasant information1 but will not seem to understand it4 ,with ,mr4 ,wingfield1 the gentleman's groom up at the ,arms1 said she4 ,he be her young man4 ,ambrose ,cuthbert turned his head outwards to hide a smile4 ,rose said hotly1 ,hold your tongue1 child6 don't be saucy6 ,come1 ,amy1 here is some mistake4 ,stay1 ,rose1 said ,mrs4 ,cuthbert1 the child is really very ill4 ,has he a mother8 ,something ought to be done4 ,rose did not feel as if she could care for the boy at such a moment1 and just then old ,mrs4 ,rowe1 brought by the sound of voices1 came in by the back door4 ,ay6 ,rose ,lee1 she said4 ,if you wants to know where your fine niece is1 just look here4 ,i never knew no good come of bringing up young folks to be better than their neighbours1 going about a visiting as if they was ladies4 ,rose had reached the back garden1 and over the broken-down little gate she saw--in the path shaded by the coppice--three figures whom she knew only too well1 sauntering towards the stile leading into the lane4 ,she felt quite giddy1 as she called out sharply1 ,amy ,lee6 ,there was a great start4 ,the three stood still1 and looked about as if to see where the voice came from4 ,rose1 recollecting the old woman's malicious eyes1 got over the stile and came towards them4 ,they had seen her by this time2 she perceived that they were whispering2 then the man retreated1 and ,florence and ,amy came towards her1 ,florence holding ,amy's hand1 and pushing to the front4 ,miss ,lee1 she said1 we weren't doing no harm4 ,only taking a walk before coming in4 ,florence ,cray1 returned ,miss ,lee1 ,i don't want to have anything to say to you4 ,if you have been teaching ,amy to deceive her father and me1 so much the worse4 ,you need not come to work this afternoon4 ,my sister1 ,mrs4 ,cuthbert1 is come to see us1 so ,i shall not require you4 ,come here1 ,amy4 ,you'll not be hard on her1 ,miss ,lee1 entreated good-natured ,florence1 feeling ,amy's fingers cling to her4 ,i do assure you there's been nothing no one could except against4 ,it's been all most prudent and proper all along4 ,i said ,i don't wish to hear nothing from you1 said ,rose4 ,if you call it prudent and proper to be walking with young men1 when she is trusted to read to a sick child1 ,i don't know what ,i shall hear next4 ,come here1 ,amy2 come home with me4 ,indeed1 aunt1 sobbed ,amy1 ,i've been in every day to see him4 ,come home now1 ,amy1 said her aunt2 ,i can't talk to you now6 ,no1 don't cry--don't speak6 ,i won't have you making yourself a show to the whole place any more than you have done already4 ,that you should have deceived us so6 she sighed to herself4 ,she was taking ,amy in1 not by the garden1 but round the corner of the lane1 to give a little more time for her to recover herself1 and also to avoid facing ,mrs4 ,rowe's eager eyes4 ,please don't tell father1 once sighed ,amy4 ,do you think ,i am going to be as deceitful as yourself8 was all the answer she got4 ,amy's was a meek nature1 and she knew she had been doing very wrong1 so she uttered no more entreaties2 indeed1 she was in such a trembling1 choking state1 that her aunt had to wait1 and walk slowly1 while the girl tried to control herself enough to appear respectably--in a little lurking hope that perhaps ,aunt ,rose would be better than her word1 and at least not tell ,aunt ,amy1 her godmother1 or ,cousin ,ambrose4 ,she1 who had been always reckoned so good a girl1 and had never been in disgrace before6 ,that it should have happened at such a time6 ,and when the garden gate was opened1 there was a further shock4 ,more people were in the house6 ,miss ,manners1 who had come home the night before1 had come to inquire for little ,edwin1 and there was a buzz of voices1 as she and ,mrs4 ,cuthbert had most joyfully greeted one another4 ,miss ,manners was delighted to see the young missionary1 and the only drawback was that poor little ,edwin was evidently so much worse4 ,he had been gradually growing worse and weaker for the last ten days or a fortnight1 ,polly and ,mrs4 ,rowe said1 and his mother had sad nights with him2 but the parish doctor had said it was only feverishness caused by the heat1 when he saw the boy last week1 and did not seem to think it of consequence4 ,the family depended on the mother's work1 and in hay-making time she could not stay at home4 ,mr4 ,somers was gone from home1 so was ,miss ,manners1 and no one had thought much about the poor child2 but he had become so much worse in the course of the morning1 that it was plain that his mother and the doctor must both be sent for without loss of time4 ,miss ,manners came out into the garden with ,mrs4 ,cuthbert1 and as the aunt and niece came up1 said she would find the messenger4 ,had not you thought him so well1 ,amy8 she asked4 ,oh1 ma'am6 exclaimed ,aunt ,rose1 always an outspoken person1 that's the worst trouble of all6 ,who would have thought this sly deceitful child could have made as if she was sitting all the time with that poor boy1 while she was just walking all the time with that good-for-nothing groom up at the ,arms4 ,how ,i shall tell her poor father1 ,i don't know4 ,it will be enough to break his heart6 ,it was all ,florence ,cray6 sobbed ,amy4 ,well1 said ,miss ,manners1 of course her father must know about it2 but since ,amy the elder is only to be here three or four hours1 don't you think it would be better not to spoil her visit for him8 ,you can have it out in the evening1 you know2 but it would be a great pity to give him such a shock at once4 ,don't you think so1 ,amy8 ,indeed ,i do1 ma'am1 said ,mrs4 ,cuthbert2 ,i am afraid the poor girl may have been to blame1 but it will not be the worse for her to wait a little while1 and my brother would be so much taken up with the matter1 that ,i am afraid my ,ambrose would never know his uncle as ,i should like4 ,i'm sure it will all be spoilt to me1 any way1 said poor ,aunt ,rose1 half choked4 ,but you will bear the burthen alone1 for your brother's sake and ,charlotte's1 said ,miss ,manners1 cheerfully2 besides1 you have your own dear old ,amy to help you to bear it1 and that is like old times4 ,this comforted ,rose a good deal4 ,miss ,dora--as she and her sister ,amy still called her--said she would not say good-bye1 she would look in before the ,cuthberts went1 and say how the child was4 ,the younger ,amy was glad at first of the respite1 but altogether it was the most dreadful day she ever spent4 ,there was her father in his ,sunday best coming out to meet them1 wondering what had made them stay so long4 ,mrs4 ,cuthbert answered1 to save ,aunt ,rose1 that they had found the child much worse1 and that ,miss ,manners had come in4 ,this satisfied him1 and they went in to the meal ,aunt ,charlotte had prepared--a very late luncheon1 or early and solid tea1 whichever it might be called--in the parlour1 with the best china1 and everything as nice as possible4 ,really ,amy felt as if it would have been less dreadful to have been locked up in her room1 or sitting sewing with ,jessie in the workroom1 than sitting up in the parlour with the rest1 and hearing her father show his pride in her1 making her fetch her prize for the religious examination1 and talking of her almost as if he wanted to compare her with ,aunt ,amy's missionary son4 ,and then when ,ambrose ,cuthbert was questioned about his plans1 and told in a very modest quiet way where he was to go1 and the work he was to do under a missionary to the ,red ,indians1 ,amy saw more and more how foolish she had been4 ,what was that conceited groom whose boast was of the horses he had ridden1 and the bets laid on them1 compared with this young man8 ,which was the gentleman of the two8 ,and this was her own first cousin1 and she had forfeited the respect and esteem which he might have carried out with him6 ,he would only--in those far countries--think of his cousin1 ,amy ,lee1 as a giddy1 deceitful1 hypocritical girl1 who had carried on a flirtation under cover of a good work4 ,amy burnt to tell all the excuses she thought she had1 and how she had been led on1 and that it was not so bad as no doubt ,aunt ,rose thought2 but she must keep all back4 ,only at last her father remarked that his darling was very silent--shy1 he thought1 with her grand scholarly cousin4 ,he said he should like them to hear what a pretty voice she had1 and told her to sing one of her hymns1 such as ,abide with us2 but ,amy could not do that4 ,she put her face in her hands1 choked1 and began to cry4 ,ah6 said ,aunt ,charlotte2 poor dear1 it has been a great shock to her1 the poor little boy being taken so much worse4 ,it was a comfort to every one that at that moment ,miss ,manners came in through the shop1 asking for ,jessie ,hollis4 ,the poor little boy is very ill1 she said4 ,the only thing that seems to soothe him is a bit of a verse that his sister ,mary says her teacher taught her4 ,that was you--is it not1 ,jessie8 ,mary can only say half1 and we can't make it out2 but she says1 ',if teacher was but here4' ,of course ,miss ,lee was ready to spare ,jessie for such a reason1 and she folded up her work while ,miss ,manners had a little talk with ,mrs4 ,cuthbert1 on the mingled pain and sweetness of the giving up her only son to be one of those sent forth to sow beside all waters4 ,i am so glad he should have seen you1 ma'am1 before he leaves us1 said his mother1 the tears rising in her quiet eyes4 ,i only wish he could have seen ,miss ,edith--,mrs4 ,howard2 for indeed1 ma'am1 ,i always feel that whatever good my children have learnt at home1 was owing to the way ,i was brought up and the way ,miss ,edith used to talk to us4 ,nothing will make my sister so happy as to hear it1 ,amy1 said ,miss ,manners4 ,somehow it seems to chime in with what ,i had ventured to bring as a little remembrance of your old home for your son4 ,i had prepared it to send the ,st4 ,augustine's scholar1 before ,i knew ,i should see him4 ,she gave him a beautiful little ,christian ,year and ,lyra ,innocentium in a case together1 and as the book-marker was the illuminated text-- ,in the morning sow thy seed1 ,and in the evening withhold not thine hand1 ,for thou knowest not which shall prosper4 ,ambrose ,cuthbert thanked the lady in a very nice way1 telling her that he should value her gift much1 and that he hoped to make the poems his companions and often his guides in his work4 ,so with a warm pressure of the hands of both mother and son1 ,miss ,manners walked away with ,jessie4 ,i think1 she presently said1 some of your bread on the waters is coming back to you1 ,jessie4 ,they say that little ,mary ,smithers has been such a comfort to her little brother1 by repeating to him what she learns on ,sundays1 and that she has been so much more good and attentive to him of late4 ,i am sure1 ma'am1 said ,jessie1 ,i never thought ,mary ,smithers seemed to understand anything4 ,we can never judge where the seed we sow will prosper1 said ,miss ,dora1 thinking within herself of the different results with ,amy and ,jessie4 ,the little boy had been carried up to the bedroom4 ,old ,mrs4 ,rowe was there1 and his mother1 who was trying to help him to lie more easily1 while he moved feebly1 but restlessly1 and still looked at little ,polly1 who was repeating over and over some verse in which ,shepherd was the only word that ,miss ,manners1 well as she knew the children's tones1 could make out4 ,jessie1 however1 knew it directly1 and repeated-- ,gracious ,saviour1 gentle ,shepherd1 ,little ones are dear to ,thee1 ,gathered in ,thine ,arms and carried1 ,in ,thy ,bosom may we be ,sweetly1 fondly1 gently tended1 ,from all want and danger free4 ,she could say the whole hymn1 but the child grew restless as soon as she had passed beyond the first verse4 ,she returned to it1 once1 twice1 and then ,polly got back what she had partly forgotten and went on with it1 which was evidently what quieted the boy best4 ,he seemed too far gone to attend to anything else2 the sense of other words did not reach his ears1 but these evidently gave him pleasure4 ,the doctor had said he was dying1 and the women thought he would sleep himself away4 ,there seemed no more to be done4 ,polly had her verse to say to him1 and no help seemed needed2 so ,miss ,manners and ,jessie went down the stairs again1 and out into the garden1 ,jessie shedding many tears1 but very far from sad ones4 ,when she could speak1 she said that the young woman in the hospital to whom she owed so much knew the hymn1 and had so often repeated it1 that ,jessie had learnt it4 ,she had used the first verse one ,sunday when teaching the children about the ,good ,shepherd1 and1 having a little more time than usual1 had tried to teach it to them--little thinking how she should thus meet it--but using it because she had grown fond of it for the sake of her friend1 and of the new and higher feelings that were linked with the first learning of it4 ,there was a great peace and thankfulness in her heart at having thus tasted a sort of first-fruits of her little attempt at sowing4 ,it was soothing a death-bed6 ,might not she well rejoice that she had persevered1 in spite of the temptation of gain1 in not letting her head and heart be carried away with the fever of work1 but giving the best part of herself to the task she had undertaken8 ,not that ,jessie saw or thought that this had been the case4 ,yet if she had let herself be swept away with ,grace's vehement desire to engross all the needlework1 she must have given up her preparation2 she would have been wearied1 hurried1 and very likely fretful and impatient4 ,at any rate1 there would not have been that kindness and earnestness which leads others to be good far more than the actual words of teaching4 ,,chapter ,x4 ,,the ,,reckoning4 ,,it is a right punishment for our sinful pride in her1 said ,aunt ,rose1 as she had a few last words alone with her elder sister4 ,well1 ,rose1 said ,mrs4 ,cuthbert1 ,i would not be so very hard on the poor child4 ,i've been watching her1 and ,i think1 though no doubt she has done very wrong1 it was in a childish sort of way1 and that you won't find there's been any real love-making or nonsense of that sort4 ,i'm sure1 now ,i find the child could deceive us so1 and act such a part1 there's nothing ,i could not believe1 said poor ,aunt ,rose4 ,that is sad enough1 but ,i think you'll find it the worst1 and that she was led into it by others4 ,that ,florence ,cray6 exclaimed ,rose2 and what to do about her8 ,how hinder her from spoiling our child1 when she's bound apprentice to me8 ,i wish ,i'd never listened to her father6 ,here came ,amy herself1 sent up to say that the trap was ready1 and her aunt must not be late for the train4 ,she felt as if the last protection was gone when she saw her aunt and cousin driven away in the conveyance they had hired at ,ellerby4 ,girls bred up like ,florence ,cray would have thought it all a great fuss about nothing4 ,first and last ,florence had seen nothing but fun in ,amy's cheating her strait-laced aunts and getting a little diversion1 while they wanted to shut her up with a cross child2 but ,amy had been bred up to a very different way of looking at things1 and the whole afternoon had only been setting more fully before her how she had fallen from what she had imagined of herself last ,lent6 ,after all1 the delay had made it better for her4 ,aunt ,rose did not tell the story quite so hotly and violently as it would have come out in the first shock of wrath1 but it was dreadful enough to hear her father say-- ,amy1 child1 what is this8 ,i never thought you would go for to do such a thing4 ,you that we had trusted from a baby1 added ,aunt ,rose4 ,aunt ,charlotte said nothing1 but her looks were the worst of all to bear1 they were so gentle and so sorrowful4 ,and when ,amy had sobbed out her story they told her that she had been so sly that they did not know how to believe her word4 ,oh1 father6 you may believe me4 ,i never told a story--no1 ,i never did6 ,and yet you could make as if you were going day by day to sit with that poor little chap1 only that you might be tramping about the lanes with that there scamp6 ,it was what he took as the hypocrisy of the thing that chiefly wounded ,mr4 ,lee1 and when ,amy declared she had always gone into the cottage and spoken to the boy1 she was told1 ,much she could have attended to him1 since she had never seen that the poor child was dying4 ,the fact was that ,florence had hurried her a good deal1 because ,mr4 ,wingfield was to show them the rosettes the horses were to wear on the wedding-day4 ,after all1 ,amy had to go up to her room only half believed and unforgiven4 ,her father had a great mind to have gone to have had it out with ,florence ,cray that night1 but as some holiday people were there1 he doubted whether he could see her alone1 and waited till the morning4 ,then he called her into the parlour and said3 ,florence ,cray1 what have you been doing with my girl8 ,no harm1 ,mr4 ,lee1 said ,florence1 frightened1 but therefore pert1 and resolved to stand up for her friend4 ,you may trust me for that6 ,i know what is proper4 ,mr4 ,lee made an odd sort of noise1 and said3 ,you do1 eh6 ,proper to deceive her friends-- ,oh6 now1 ,mr4 ,lee1 said ,florence1 looking up in the droll1 saucy way that served her instead of beauty1 it was only two old aunts4 ,one always reckons it fair play by an old aunt4 ,have done with nonsense like that1 said ,mr4 ,lee4 ,now1 ,florence ,cray1 mine is a girl with no mother4 ,my sisters1 and ,i have done our best to keep her a good1 innocent girl1 and we can't but feel it a hard thing that you should come leading her to keep company1 without our knowledge1 with a fellow that you must know is not such as we would approve4 ,i'm sure ,i meant no harm1 said ,florence1 beginning to cry2 ,i only thought it was dull for her1 and took her for a walk4 ,and you needn't be afraid1 ,mr4 ,lee1 ,i never left them alone not one minute1 nor he never said one word2 nor did more than just shake hands4 ,you may trust me1 ,mr4 ,lee4 ,on the whole the ,lees were satisfied that the mischief had not gone as far as such imprudence might have led4 ,mr4 ,wingfield would be gone in a few days1 for the wedding was coming on1 and ,amy was certainly not in love with him4 ,when she compared him with ,ambrose ,cuthbert1 she felt sick of having been flattered for a moment by his attentions1 and looked on the whole with the bitterest shame1 as having led her away from all her good resolutions1 and made her thus deceive and disobey her father and aunts4 ,and when the knell rang for poor little ,edwin ,smithers she cried more than ever1 feeling almost guilty of his death4 ,she never wished for a moment to accept the invitation for which she had once been so eager1 to see ,miss ,robson's wedding clothes and wedding presents4 ,grace ,hollis went and took ,jessie1 and ,florence ,cray went too4 ,these were a sight6 ,such gilt clocks6 ,such extraordinary contrivances for ink-stands1 toilette apparatus1 dinner services1 and every service that could be thought of6 ,such girdles1 chatelaines1 rings and bracelets6 ,such silks and satins6 such garments for morning1 noon1 and night1 and even afternoon tea6 ,and oh6 such dressing-gowns6 ,they sent ,florence ,cray home thinking over all the novels she had ever seen1 where a girl at an inn married a rich man1 and also thinking how to alter her best hat4 ,they sent ,grace ,hollis home deep in plans how to get another order for plain work4 ,and they sent home1 ,jessie very happy indeed1 for a lady's-maid had asked whether a dozen more handkerchiefs could be marked with ,maude in the same style as the ,nina4 ,miss ,needwood was really getting quite prosperous4 ,the next day1 almost every one1 who could1 went to see as much as possible of the wedding2 so ,aunt ,rose had not yet to endure the presence of ,florence1 and to keep watch that she did not chatter to ,amy1 who was drooping and shame-stricken enough4 ,that morning came a letter from ,mrs4 ,cuthbert4 ,she said she should be lonesome without ,ambrose2 and would her brother lend her his ,amy for a few weeks1 when she would do her best for the child1 and not let her forget her needlework8 ,this made things much easier to all2 but ,amy knew it was a very different going from home from what it might have been4 ,before she came back1 ,florence ,cray had found what she called working at ,old ,lee's so dull1 that she had teased her parents into requesting the return of part of her premium1 and binding her to the chief milliner in ,ellerby4 ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,,which ,,shall ,,prosper8 ,,mr4 ,,somers had come home from his six weeks' holiday1 and was talking over the village news with ,miss ,manners4 ,she told him of little ,edwin ,smithers's death1 of the summons to ,jessie ,hollis1 and of the visit of ,mrs4 ,cuthbert4 ,of course it is wrong to judge1 she said1 but do you remember that ,lenten sermon1 and the impression ,i told you it made8 ,i remember well4 ,it was on the seed1 and on bringing forth fruit4 ,well1 when we had the ,parable of the ,sower the other day1 ,i could not help thinking how it had worked out4 ,there were some1 like that ,cray girl1 who never seemed to take it in at all1 but left it as something outside of them4 ,then three distinctly were moved to undertake something1 the two ,hollises and ,amy ,lee4 ,well1 ,grace dropped her missionary needlework as soon as that wedding order come in her way---- ,don't be hard on her1 ,dora4 ,no2 but ,i'm afraid ,i can't help seeing that she does not seem to keep up her ,sunday ways as she used4 ,then there's a sharp1 worn1 fretted way4 ,i am very much afraid she is getting choked with the thorns4 ,i don't know ,miss ,hollis well1 he said1 thoughtfully1 but ,i am afraid she does not look much beyond her shop4 ,and my poor little ,amy ,lee responding so readily--seeming all that could be wished1 and then showing herself so little able to stand temptation from that silly girl4 ,i hope there was no more than silliness4 ,i don't think there was2 but still1 after all the care ,rose and ,charlotte have taken to bring up that girl really refined1 it was very disappointing to find her ready to be led away in an instant by foolish1 vulgar admiration2 above all1 when it led her to neglect the good work she was supposed to be doing1 it showed such shallowness4 ,it is a comfort that often trials1 and even falls1 do deepen the soil1 so that the roots may have a better hold another time1 said ,mr4 ,somers4 ,i think there is good hope that so it will be with poor little ,amy4 ,and ,i think you have some good soil to tell me of4 ,indeed ,i have4 ,i am sure ,jessie ,hollis has shown herself good soil1 and her work upon that very unpromising ,mary ,smithers showed itself remarkably4 ,but that was not all ,i was thinking of4 ,it seems to me that we have had a glimpse of what the hundredfold produce may be4 ,think of my dear sister ,edith1 working away at her class when there was much less help than now1 and see what some of them have grown up1 especially ,amy ,cuthbert4 ,i know she had a good home1 and other helps2 but still ,i heard what she said of ,edith's teaching and training4 ,it has helped her to make that young ,ambrose ,cuthbert what he is1--and what may not be his harvest6 ,as though a man should cast seed into the field1 said ,mr4 ,somers1 thoughtfully4 ,first the blade1 then the ear1 after that the full corn in the ear4 ,ah6 ,i am leaping on too fast4 ,we only see a little of the first-fruits1 said ,miss ,manners1 and take it for an earnest of the rest4 ,and then she repeated ,bishop ,heber's hymn1 which she had often taught the children3-- ,o ,god1 by ,whom the seed is given1 ,by ,whom the harvest blest1 ,whose ,word1 like manna showers from heaven1 ,is planted in our breast4 ,preserve it from the passing feet1 ,from plunderers of the air1 ,the sultry sun's intenser heat1 ,and weeds of worldly care4 ,though buried deep or thinly strewn1 ,do ,thou ,thy grace supply3 ,the hope in earthly furrows strewn ,shall ripen in the sky4 ,,the ,,end4 ,,london3 ,r4 ,,clay1 ,,sons1 ,,and ,,taylor1 ,,bread ,,street ,,hill4 ,,books ,,for ,,presents4 ,,abbeychurch2 ,,or1 ,,self-,,control ,,and 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,photograph4 ,second ,edition4 #as4 #f;d4 ,,burnt ,,out3 ,a ,,story ,,for ,,mothers' ,,meetings4 ,by ,,charlotte ,m4 ,,yonge4 ,second ,edition4 ,fcap4 #hvo1 cloth4 #bs4 #f;d4 ,,castle ,,builders2 ,,or1 ,,the ,,deferred ,,confirmation4 ,by ,,charlotte ,m4 ,,yonge4 ,fifth ,edition4 ,fcap4 #hvo1 cloth #hs4 #f;d4 ,,christmas ,,mummers1 ,,and ,,other ,,stories4 ,by ,,charlotte ,m4 ,,yonge1 ,crown #hvo1 cloth4 #cs4 #f;d4 ,,conceited ,,pig4 ,with ,six ,illustrations by ,,harrison ,,weir4 ,royal #ahmo1 cloth4 #as4 ,,constant ,,prince4 ,by ,,christabel ,r4 ,,coleridge4 ,fcap4 #hvo1 cloth4 #bs4 #f;d4 ,,pamela',s ,,bequest4 ,by ,m4 ,e4 ,,poole 7,mrs4 ,henry ,sandford71 ,author of ,pictures of ,cottage ,life in the ,west of ,england1 c4 ,post #hvo1 cloth #bs4 #f;d4 ,,countess ,,kate ,,and ,,stokesley ,,secret4 ,by ,,charlotte ,m4 ,,yonge4 ,in ,one ,vol4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth4 ,with ,frontispiece4 ,third ,edition4 #es4 ,,days ,,and ,,seasons2 ,,or1 ,,church ,,poetry ,,for ,,the ,,year4 ,fourth ,edition4 #ahmo1 cloth extra1 red edges4 #bs4 #f;d4 ,,eric ,,and ,,thora3 ,a ,,story ,,for ,,children4 ,by the ,author of ,st4 ,peter's ,day4 #ahmo1 cloth4 ,with ,frontispiece4 #as4 #f;d4 ,,evening ,,rest2 ,,or1 ,,closing ,,thoughts ,,for ,,every ,,day ,,in ,,the ,,christian ,,year4 ,third ,edition4 ,post #hvo1 cloth1 #bs4 #f;d42 morocco extra1 bevelled boards1 #fs42 calf extra1 limp1 #es4 ,cheaper ,edition1 limp cloth1 lettered1 #as42 or ,twelve for #ajs4 ,,friarswood ,,post-,,office4 ,by ,,charlotte ,m4 ,,yonge4 ,eighth ,edition4 ,with ,frontispiece4 ,demy #ahmo1 cloth4 #bs4 #f;d4 ,,jeannie ,,gordon2 ,,or1 ,,blessed ,,are ,,they ,,that ,,thirst4 ,by the ,author of ,joined to an ,idol1 c4 #ahmo1 cloth4 ,with ,frontispiece4 #as4 ,,joined ,,to ,,an ,,idol4 ,by ,g4 ,s4 ,m41 ,author of ,winnie's ,difficulties4 ,frontispiece and ,vignette4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth extra1 bevelled4 #cs4 #f;d4 ,,laddie4 ,by the ,author of ,miss ,toosey's ,mission4 #ahmo1 cloth4 #as4 ,,langley ,,school4 ,by ,,charlotte ,m4 ,,yonge4 ,fourth ,edition4 ,demy #ahmo1 cloth4 #bs4 #f;d4 ,,leonard ,,the ,,lion ,,heart4 ,by ,,charlotte ,m4 ,,yonge4 ,tenth ,edition4 #ahmo1 sewed4 #f;d4 ,,michael1 ,,the ,,chorister4 #ahmo1 sewed1 #f;d42 #ahmo1 cloth1 #as4 ,eleventh ,edition4 ,,miles ,,harling4 ,by ,,alice ,,weber4 ,two ,vols4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth4 #a #as4 ,,miss ,,toosey',s ,,mission4 ,by the ,author of ,laddie4 ,seventh ,thousand4 ,with ,frontispiece4 #ahmo1 cloth4 #as4 ,,mistress ,,of ,,coon ,,hall4 ,by ,,margaret ,r4 ,,cartmell1 ,author of the ,viking4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth4 #es4 ,,new ,,ground4 ,by ,,charlotte ,m4 ,,yonge4 ,with ,frontispiece4 ,fcap4 #hvo1 cloth4 ,second ,edition4 #cs4 ,,note-,,book ,,of ,,an ,,elderly ,,lady4 ,by ,,elizabeth ,m4 ,,sewell4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth4 #fs4 ,,otter 7,,the71 ,,and ,,other ,,stories ,,of ,,animals ,,and ,,birds4 ,by the ,author of ,friends in ,fur and ,feathers4 ,with ,six ,original ,illustrations by ,,harrison ,,weir4 #hvo4 ,handsomely bound in cloth1 gilt4 #es4 ,,palace ,,of ,,fun3 ,a ,,story ,,for ,,children4 ,by ,c4 ,,rickards4 #ahmo1 cloth4 ,with ,frontispiece4 #as4 ,,pigeon ,,pie4 ,by ,,charlotte ,m4 ,,yonge4 ,sixth ,edition4 ,with ,frontispiece4 ,demy #ahmo1 cloth1 #as4 ,,ploughing ,,and ,,sowing2 ,,or1 ,,the ,,annals ,,of ,,an ,,evening ,,school ,,in ,a ,,yorkshire ,,village1 ,,and ,,the ,,work ,,that ,,grew ,,out ,,of ,,it4 ,by a ,clergyman's ,daughter4 ,sixth ,edition4 ,fcap4 #hvo1 cloth4 #cs4 #f;d4 ,,questions ,,on ,,the ,,psalms4 ,by ,,charlotte ,m4 ,,yonge4 ,demy #ahmo1 sewed4 #aj;d4 ,uniform with ,questions on the ,catechism1 ,collects1 c4 c4 ,,railroad ,,children4 ,by ,,charlotte ,m4 ,,yonge4 ,eleventh ,edition4 #f;d4 ,,right ,,fear ,,and ,,wrong ,,fear--,,it ,,looks ,,so6--,,gossip4 ,by the ,author of ,sunshine in ,sickness4 #ahmo1 cloth4 #as4 ,,lads ,,and ,,lasses ,,of ,,langley4 ,a ,,story ,,book ,,for ,,children4 ,by ,,charlotte ,m4 ,,yonge4 #ahmo1 cloth4 #bs4 ,,six ,,cushions4 ,by ,,charlotte ,m4 ,,yonge4 ,second ,edition4 ,with ,frontispiece4 ,royal #ahmo1 cloth4 #cs4 ,,spring ,,and ,,autumn4 ,by ,,phoebe ,,allen1 ,author of ,gilmory4 ,with ,preface by the late ,canon ,,ashwell1 ,m4,a4 #ahmo1 cloth4 ,with ,frontispiece4 #as4 #f;d4 ,,stokesley ,,secret4 ,by ,,charlotte ,m4 ,,yonge4 ,fourth ,edition4 ,royal #ahmo1 cloth4 #bs4 #f;d4 ,,stories ,,on ,,proverbs4 #ahmo1 cloth4 #as4 #f;d4 ,,story ,,lectures ,,for ,,cottage ,,readings1 ,,bible ,,classes1 ,,mothers' ,,meetings1 c4 ,by ,c4 ,m4 ,,hallett4 #ahmo1 cloth4 #as4 #f;d4 ,,sunshine ,,in ,,sickness4 ,by the ,author of ,pictures of the ,heavens1 c4 ,fourth ,edition4 ,fcap4 #hvo1 cloth4 #bs4 ,,sunshine ,,in ,,sorrow4 ,by the ,author of ,sunshine in ,sickness4 ,a ,new and ,cheaper ,edition4 ,post #hvo1 cloth4 #bs4 #f;d4 ,,te ,,deum4 ,,miles',s ,illustrations4 ,square #afmo1 cloth1 red lines1 gilt edges4 #bs4 ,,verses ,,on ,,the ,,gospels1 ,,for ,,sundays ,,and ,,holydays4 ,by ,,charlotte ,m4 ,,yonge4 ,demy #ahmo1 paper covers1 #f;d42 cloth1 #as4 ,,westfield ,,village4 ,by ,,ellen ,e4 ,,lushington4 ,fcap4 #hvo1 cloth4 #bs4 ,,womankind4 ,by ,,charlotte ,m4 ,,yonge4 ,fourth ,edition4 ,crown #hvo4 #fs4 ,london3 ,,walter ,,smith 7late ,,mozley71 #cd1 ,king ,street1 ,covent ,garden4 99 99 99 99 99 ,transcriber's note3 ,obvious punctuation errors were corrected4 ,page #fb1 word to added to text 7we can to get7 ,page #ada1 neet changed to meet 7out to meet7