azy temper to be always without care but sometimes it was a burden
to endure, for so often she had it all to do again unless she made a
rapid dash out of the door before Anna had a chance to see.

Life was very easy always for this large and lazy Miss Mathilda, with
the good Anna to watch and care for her and all her clothes and goods.
But, alas, this world of ours is after all much what it should be and
cheerful Miss Mathilda had her troubles too with Anna.

It was pleasant that everything for one was done, but annoying often
that what one wanted most just then, one could not have when one
had foolishly demanded and not suggested one's desire. And then Miss
Mathilda loved to go out on joyous, country tramps when, stretching
free and far with cheerful comrades, over rolling hills and
cornfields, glorious in the setting sun, and dogwood white and shining
underneath the moon and clear stars over head, and brilliant air and
tingling blood, it was hard to have to think of Anna's anger at the
late return, though Miss Mathilda had begged that there might be no
hot supper cooked that night. And then when all the happy crew of
Miss Mathilda and her friends, tired with fullness of good health and
burning winds and glowing sunshine in the eyes, stiffened and justly
worn and wholly ripe for pleasant food and gentle content, were all
come together to the little house--it was hard for all that tired crew
who loved the good things Anna made to eat, to come to the closed
door and wonder there if it was Anna's evening in or out, and then the
others must wait shivering on their tired feet, while Miss Mathilda
softened Anna's heart, or if Anna was well out, boldly ordered
youthful Sallie to feed all the hungry lot.

Such things were sometimes hard to bear and often grievously did
Miss Mathilda feel herself a rebel with the cheerful Lizzies, the
melancholy Mollies, the rough old Katies and the stupid Sallies.

Miss Mathilda had other troubles too, with the good Anna. Miss
Mathilda had to save her Anna from the many friends, who in the kindly
fashion of the poor, used up her savings and then gave her promises in
place of payments.

The good Anna had many curious friends that she had found in the
twenty years that she had lived in Bridgepoint, and Miss Mathilda
would often have to save her from them all.

Part II

THE LIFE OF THE GOOD ANNA

Anna Federner, this good Anna, was of solid lower middle-class south
german stock.