h idling, and said it must
be given up.

"No," said Jessie. "I can't give up my Church and my preparation with
Miss Manners."

"Nonsense! You see I've given up my working party."

"Yes; but I can't give up mine," said Jessie. "Oh, Grace, we thought so
much about trying to do what we could."

"And so I am!" said Grace. "No one can say I am not doing my duty to my
family, and that's better than throwing away my time on a lot of
beggarly folk that don't deserve nothing. And you ought to know better,
Jessie."

"I must have my lesson prepared," said she in return.

"As if you couldn't teach that there Bell girl without going to read
with Miss Manners first! You'll never have those handkerchiefs done!"

"I did two letters extra this morning," said Jessie.

"Ah, that's very fine, but if you get one of your headaches----"

The sound of that word alarmed Mrs. Hollis. Jessie had had a bad illness
about a year ago, and the mother could not part with her anxiety about
her. In she came, with the tea-cup she was washing in her hand.

"Has Jessie got a headache?" she inquired.

"Oh no, mother, thank you. Grace is only putting a case."

"Yes; I am asking her what she thinks will become of the work if she is
to go and take her pleasure whenever she likes. She talks of working
extra; but supposing she had a headache, she'd be sorry she had thrown
away her time."

"Dear, dear," said Mrs. Hollis; "'tis the very way to make her have a
headache to keep her poor nose to the grindstone. The doctor, he says to
me, 'She've had a shock, and she'll require care, and not to be
overstrained.' And I tell you, Grace, I won't have Jessie put upon, and
kept muzzing over her needle like a blackamoor slave, without a taste of
fresh air. So run away, Jessie, and get your walk."

"Thank you, mother."

And Jessie, who did not feel bound to obey her sister, ran lightly off,
hoping poor mother would not be very fiercely talked at by Grace. She
herself was clear that work undertaken for God's sake should not be
dropped when one's own gain began to clash with it; while Grace, who had
always been held up as the model, helpful good daughter, plainly
thought, "working for one's family," and securing something extra, was
such a reason as to make it a sort of duty to throw over all she had
taken up under the spur of that sermon in the spring. Jessie had no
headache, but she was weary, vexed, and teased, and

"Stitch, stitch, stitch,