s, when she came to
call on her minister's wife. "It's important that the pastor's family
should take a part in every good work." Mrs. Wallis was the most
energetic woman of the congregation,--at the head of every thing.

"I'm afraid Mary's sewing is not good enough," replied Mrs. Forcythe.
"She isn't very skilful with her needle yet."

"Oh! she knows enough to teach those ignorant little creatures. Half of
them are foreigners, and never touch a needle in their homes. It's
every thing to give them some ideas beyond their own shiftless ways."

"Would you like to try, Mary?" asked her mother.

"I--don't--know," replied Mary, afraid to refuse, because Mrs. Wallis
looked so sharp and decided.

"Very well, then I'll call for you on Saturday, at half-past ten," went
on Mrs. Wallis, quite regardless of Mary's hesitating tone. "I'm glad
you'll come. It would never do not to have some of the minister's
family. Saturday morning, at half-past ten! Good-by, Mrs. Forcythe.
Don't get up; you look peaked still. To-morrow is baking day, and I
shall send you a green-currant pie. Perhaps _that'll_ do you good." With
these words she departed.

"Must I really teach in that school?" asked Mary dolefully.

"I think you'd better. The people expect it, and it will be a good thing
for you to practise sewing a little," replied her mother. "I daresay it
will be pleasanter than you think."

"It seems so funny that I should be set to teach any one to sew," said
Mary, bursting into a laugh. "Don't you recollect how Mrs. Clapp used to
scold me, and say I 'gobbled' my darns?"

"You mustn't 'gobble' before the seamen's daughters," said Mrs.
Forcythe, smiling. "It will be a capital lesson for you to try to teach
what you haven't quite learned yourself."

Punctual as the clock Mrs. Wallis appeared on Saturday, and bore the
unwilling Mary away to the sewing-school. Mrs. Forcythe watched them
from the window. She couldn't help laughing, their movements were so
comically different,--Mrs. Wallis was so brisk and decided, while Mary
lagged behind, dragging one slow foot after the other as if each moment
she longed to stop and dared not. Very different was her movement,
however, two hours later, when she returned. She came with a kind of
burst, her eyes bright with excitement, and her cheeks pinker than they
had been since she left Valley Hill.

"O mother, it is _so_ nice! Ever so many children were there,--thirty at
least; and Mrs. Wallis said I