heard the story before, could not understand what she was
reading about.

Emily looked down, and became quite red.

Lucy looked up full of wonder, and half inclined to smile; but a gentle
look from her mother reminded her what civility and kindness required
of her. Her mother's look seemed to say, "You ought to pity and not to
laugh at one who has not been so well taught as yourself;" and she
instantly looked down, and seemed to give her whole thoughts to her
work.

"Bessy," said Mrs. Goodriche, "you had best pass the book to Lucy; I
am sure that you will try to improve yourself against the next time you
are asked to read aloud in company."

"I shall never make much of reading, aunt," she answered carelessly; "I
hate it so."

The reading then went on till one o'clock, and there was enough of the
story left for another day. The work was then put up, and the children
were at liberty till dinner-time; but the day was very hot, so there
could be no walk till the evening.

"Now," said Mrs. Goodriche, "before we part, you shall see something
out of this bag; it is full of pieces from my old great store-chest;
there are three pieces of old brocade silk," and she spread them out on
the table. They all looked as if they had been short sleeves; one was
green, with purple and gold flowers as large as roses; another was
pink, what is called _clouded_ with blue, green, and violet: and the
third was dove-colour, with running stripes of satin. "Now," she said,
"each of you, my little girls, shall have one of these pieces, and you
shall make what you please of it; and when you have made the best you
can of the silk, you shall show your work to me, and I shall see who is
worthy of more pieces, for I have more in this bag."

"If any of you, my dears," said Mrs. Fairchild, "should want little
bits of ribbon or lining to help out what you wish to make, I shall
gladly supply them; indeed," she added, "I may as well give what may be
wanted now;" and having fetched a bag of odds and ends, she gave out
some bits of coloured ribbon to suit the silks, with sewing silks and
linings, such as her bag would afford, placing her gifts in equal
portions on the three pieces of silk.

"And now," said Mrs. Goodriche, "who is to choose first?"

"Lucy and Emily," said Bessy; and Lucy wished Bessy to choose first.
After a little while this matter was settled; Emily had the green with
the golden flowers, Lucy the clouded pink, and Bessy the striped