elet-holes to
every friend that came to see her.

Among them, Sarah the housemaid, who was sister to Susan's father, often
called in to ask after us all. She was left in charge of the house where
my former friends had lived, and they sometimes sent her commissions to
execute for them. Then she was sure to come and bring us news of _the
family_, as she always called Rose and her relations. Sometimes she told
us that Master William was a little better; sometimes that she heard
Miss Rose was very much grown; she had generally something to tell that
we were all glad to hear. One evening, soon after my apparel was quite
completed, I was sitting on my trunk, as pleased with myself as Susan
was with me, when Sarah's head peeped in at the door.

'Good evening to you all,' said she; 'I thought as I went by you would
like to hear that I have a letter from the family, and all's well. I
have got a pretty little job to do for Master Willy. He is to have a
set of new shirts sent out directly, made of very fine thin calico,
because his own are too thick. See, here is the stuff I have been buying
for them.'

'It is beautiful calico, to be sure,' said Susan's mother; 'but such
fine stuff as that will want very neat work. I am afraid you will hardly
be able to make them yourself.'

'Why, no,' answered Sarah, smiling and shaking her head. 'I am sorry to
say, _there_ comes in my old trouble, not having learned to work neatly
when I was young. Take warning by me, Susan, and mind your needlework
now-a-days. If I could work as neatly as your mother, my mistress would
have made me lady's maid and housekeeper by this time. But I could not
learn any but rough work, more's the pity: so I say again, take warning
by _me_, little niece; take pattern by your mother.'

Susan looked at me and smiled, as much as to say, 'I have taken pattern
by her;' but she had not time to answer, for Sarah continued, addressing
the mother:

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'How I wish you could have time to do this job! for it would bring you
in a pretty penny, and I know my mistress would be pleased with your
work; but they are to be done very quickly, in time for the next ship,
and I do not see that you _could_ get through them with only one pair of
hands.'

'We have two pair of hands,' cried Susan; 'here are mine.'

'Ah, but what can they do?' asked Sarah, 'and how can they do it? It is
not enough to have four fingers and a thumb. Hands must be handy.'

'And