, or the
fact of a young gentleman being of their party made her careful not to
give way to temper; though it must be confessed that Harry tried it two
or three times. However, all went on smoothly enough, and at nine
o'clock the friends separated.

The gorgeous sunset gave token of a fine day on the morrow, when Clara
anticipated the pleasure of finishing her labour of love, and taking a
most acceptable present to her poor friends the Simmonses. The bell rang
at the usual time in the morning, and after breakfast the work of the
day before was resumed.

'Two hours, I think, will finish what you want to take with you to-day,'
said Aunt Mary, 'so you will have time to go before dinner. You can take
poor Simmons some eggs, and Bridget has a rice pudding in the oven for
the children.'

'How delighted they will be to see us again; only I wish you could have
gone with us, aunt,' said Clara.

'I wish I could have done so, but I expect a person to call on business
this morning, so I must not be out of the way,' said the lady.

Steadily the work progressed; even Mabel, by the aid of her bright
silver thimble and sharp needle, seemed to get on better than she had
done the day before: so that not only was the night-shirt finished, but
a little pinafore had been cut out and completed in less than the two
hours. And now all had been packed up, the two girls were ready for
their walk; and the careful Bridget had placed the pudding and the eggs
in an oval basket for Clara to carry, while they were preparing for
their walk.

'It will be frightfully hot walking this morning, I know,' said Mabel.
'I wish our visit to the cottage could be put off until the evening; go
and ask Aunt Mary if it may, Clara,' she added.

'No, I couldn't do that,' replied her cousin. 'Aunt never tells us to do
anything that is unreasonable, and I know that she wishes very much that
the children should have the pudding for their dinner, and that the poor
sick man should have the new-laid eggs. Come, Mabel dear, be quick,' she
added; 'we shall be under the shade of the trees great part of the way.'

'And who is to carry the basket and this parcel?' inquired Mabel, giving
a rather contemptuous look at the rolled-up work.

'You may carry whichever you like,' said Clara; 'it does not matter to
me which I take. Indeed, I shouldn't mind if I had to carry both,
neither of them are heavy.'

'Perhaps not,' said the proud girl, 'but it is so servant-like to be