her the
highest praise for her good behaviour, and assured her father that they
had never during the whole time of her visit seen her once out of
humour, or at all fretful upon any occasion. Mr. Placid said he was
extremely happy to hear so good an account of his little girl, but that
he had expected everything amiable from the sweetness of her
disposition, adding, 'It would be very strange if she had behaved
otherwise with you as, I assure you, she is at all times equally
tractable and engaging.'

The evening before her departure her aunt was so obliging as to present
her with a new doll, which she had taken great pains to dress, and had
made for it two dimity petticoats, with a nice pair of stays, a pink
satin coat, and a muslin frock. She had likewise purchased some cotton
stockings and a pair of red shoes with white roses, white gloves tied
with pink strings, and a gauze cap with pink satin ribbons. Jemima,
with a graceful courtesy, paid her acknowledgments to Mrs. Piner for
that favour, and all the kind attentions she had received since she had
been in town, and saw it packed up with great care in a box by itself,
pleasing herself with the joy it would afford her to show it to her
mother. She then busied herself in putting up the Indian glue, and a
great quantity of pictures which had been given her, poor Hector's
collar, and several books which she had bought and had already perused
with much delight, particularly 'A Course of Lectures for Sunday
Evenings,' 'The Village School,' and 'Perambulation of a Mouse,' 2 vols.
each, together with the 'First Principles of Religion,' and the
'Adventures of a Pincushion.' All these mighty volumes she took with her
to Smiledale, and Mr. Placid was so much pleased with them as to send
for an additional supply to present to his friends. As to the skates, he
had desired her not to think about them, as he should by no means
approve of her brothers using them; nor would they have occasion for a
coach-whip, but as he knew Charles had broken his bat she might carry
him one instead. Jemima entreated permission to convey to them a drum,
as she thought it would be a plaything they would much enjoy. To this he
immediately consented, and went himself to procure one.

The Misses Piner, who were in as great a hurry with their preparations
as Jemima, behaved with less composure on the occasion. They tossed
everything out of their drawers in search of such toys as they could
possibly take w